Mongkut Wattana Hospital stops taking “OP-Refer” program patients

11 Sept 07:34 Key points summarised by AI

Mongkut Wattana Hospital has ceased accepting "OP-Refer" outpatients from private clinics, citing an alleged 14 million baht debt owed by the National Health Security Office (NHSO).
The hospital will continue treating "OP-Refer" patients suffering from cancer, chronic kidney failure, and AIDS.
Hospital director Dr. Rienthong Nanna claims the NHSO also owes 30 million baht in doctor's fees since March and failed to settle the debt by a November deadline.
This situation echoes a previous dispute four years ago, when the hospital took the NHSO to the Administrative Court over an unsettled 13.2 million baht debt, a case still pending.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Yesterday 14:22 Key points summarised by AI

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.