Overworked and underappreciated, doctors need more support
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Overworked and underappreciated, doctors need more support
11 Sept 03:20Key points summarised by AI
Thai state hospital medical staff, including doctors and nurses, endure severe working conditions, with shifts often exceeding 24 hours, leading to a critical shortage of new medical personnel.
The crisis is driven by a disproportionate doctor-to-patient ratio, outdated compensation packages, and a lack of systemic support, pushing professionals out of the public health sector.
Solutions proposed include enhancing public health literacy to reduce unnecessary hospital visits, increasing doctor compensation to a living wage, and ensuring better security and legal support for medical staff.
Experts emphasize the urgent need for high-level commitment and a fundamental change in the public health system's mindset to prevent its collapse and retain essential medical talent.
Thailand's Education Ministry is implementing a four-pronged strategy to address its students' below-average performance in PISA 2025 and tackle significant educational inequality.
The plan prioritizes closing performance gaps by increasing funding for small and low-income schools, overhauling the curriculum to foster critical thinking, and adopting a data-driven management system to reduce teacher workload.
Key initiatives include enhancing school safety, combating cyberbullying, and expanding mental health support through peer-to-peer networks, recognizing the severe impact of distress on academic performance.
An education expert advises verifying if PISA improvements stem from structural changes, advocating for a revived STEM curriculum with practical 'learn by doing' methods, and urging bureaucratic reform to link teacher evaluations to student development.