Abstract:
Kanchanaburi Province located in west of Thailand on the border adjoining Myanmar has provided public health services in the past and has encountered many problems regarding migrant workers and the types of service centers. This research was to study the opinions of the personnel servicing healthcare facilities for the uninsured migrant workers and to analyze the uncompensated healthcare personel who have not received compensation for services from uninsured migrant workers or through the secondary source. Data were collected for research through questionnaire and from the reported documents at the service centers. The samples consisted of personnel directly involved with medical services in the primary, secondary and tertiary centers. Aanalysis were performed on 203 cases of the personnel directly involved with medical services and the reports of uncompensated healthcare personnel from uninsured migrant workers at service centers under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Health in Kanchanaburi Province in the fiscal year 2013. The analysis was performed in two phases applying frequency, percentage, ratio, means, standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA. The results revealed that the opinions of the service providers regarding healthcare for the uninsured migrant workers related to communication were positive with significant different means in education and the employment demands for migrant workers in Thailand. In contrast, access and use of service showed moderate levels and were positive with significant different means in the service provided. At the same time, the uncompensated healthcare expenses of the uninsured migrant workers among the out-patient was 100.69 Bath per visit on average. Health promotion expenses were 99.36 Baht per visit. Healthcare for in-patient care was 10,085.55 Bath per visit on 1,977.60 Baht per day. The disease and health problem which the uninsured migrant workers most often sought service for was classified by using ICD-10 in the in-patient department included pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium. The disease groups with highest expense were injuries, poisoning and consequences of other external causes were shown to have an average cost of 11,251.95 Baht per visit. The disease groups with minimum expenses were factors influencing health status and contact with health services was shown to have an average cost of 2,519.07 Baht per visit. Recommendation from the study were that the personnel should establish a concrete system for healthcare service documentation and reporting. The report of healthcare service for the migrant workers is necessary to use the database directly recorded by the centers. The service centers should seen to achieve measures or methods to convince migrant workers to pay for their healthcare. Regarding healthcare policies, the healthcare insurance should be provided for migrant workers while also seeking cooperation in the development of potential medical personnel. Further study should focus on studies of expectation for healthcare service among the migrant workers."