Process of Learning and Understanding the Thai Healthcare System

Sawadee ka,

I believe it was our second academic day in Thailand when we met Dr. Surakit Nathisuwan, aka “Kit.” Kit was a pharmacist who went to pharmacy school in Florida and was now practicing as a professor at Mahidol University Faculty of Pharmacy, one of the top pharmacy schools in Thailand. What then seemed like an interesting lecture on Thai healthcare and the process of becoming a pharmacist, turned out to be one of the best lectures we received while in Thailand.

It was so important to have that basic understanding of what universal healthcare looked like in their country before we immersed ourselves into their hospitals, clinics, and homes. This lecture was given at the perfect time during our trip and I hope others are as lucky as we were. Kit taught us the basics of healthcare in Thailand, including statistics, access, and the role of pharmacists in the care of Thai people. All of this information made it easier to understand the following lectures throughout our visit. It also helped us build on that knowledge by asking more personalized questions about others’ healthcare experiences in Thailand.

Even though I was somewhat aware of the universal healthcare offered in Thailand, I did not expect to have learned nearly as much as I did. I have been able to compare public and private hospitals, observe specialty clinics for diseases such as dengue and TB, and visit a psychiatric hospital and orphanage.

But overall, I don’t think I would have gotten as much out of the experience as I had without that first lecture from Kit, as the succeeding lectures had the expectation of our general understanding of universal coverage.

Thanks for reading,
Sara