Cancer patients get more help

>> The Social Security Board (SSB) has approved a proposal to improve cancer patients’ access to treatment resources under the Social Security system, said the Social Security Office (SSO) yesterday.

The decision was reached at a meeting on Wednesday and makes it easier for a patient diagnosed with cancer to find a healthcare facility specialising in the treatment of cancer, said Dr Thana Turajane, chairman of the board’s medical committee.

He said an application would be introduced, and state-run and private hospitals specialising in treating cancer would be contracted to participate.

When assigned to a proper cancer-treating hospital, each patient’s medical record will be shared electronically among all parties, making hospital referrals more convenient for patients.

The system will also enable the SSO to track all cancer treatment and treatment results, which will be reported back to the SSB’s medical committee for inspection to ensure quality, he said.

“All types of cancer are now covered under the social security healthcare system,” he said.

Dr Thana said guidelines on how patients and hospitals use the service will be published on the SSO website and other channels.

From now on, patients with any type of cancer will be able to browse through an array of staterun and private cancer-treating facilities and request treatment at any of them, said deputy government spokesman Karom Polpornklang.