Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - March 21, 2001
Aphaluck Bhatiasevi
The 30-baht scheme will be launched on April 1 in Phayao, Pathum Thani, Samut Sakhon, Yala, Yasothon and Nakhon Sawan. Krisda Manoonwong, director of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, said patent protection stops his organisation making generic drugs, which are cheap copies. He could, however, produce drugs such as Zidovudine at one third the price of the original because the patent had expired. Krisna Kraisin, head of research and development, said 10 types of anti-retroviral drug had been made since 1995, but production was limited by outdated machinery.
Another Aids/HIV anti-retroviral drug, Nevirapine, would be out by June. The Communicable Diseases Control Department was running a 200-million-baht scheme to provide 1,500 HIV patients with anti-retroviral drugs, using a combination of three drugs bought after talks with manufacturers.
Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said major provinces such as Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen and smaller provinces such as Si Sa Ket and Surin would soon be included in the 30-baht scheme, allowing comparisons of the cost of the scheme to each province. Deputy Health Minister Suraphong Suebwonglee said village health volunteers would be urged to create a better public understanding of the scheme.
Nimit Thienudom, of Access, an Aids counselling centre, said the government should provide equal rights to medication for all diseases.
"All people should be treated equally, whether they suffer from minor or chronic illnesses. There should be no exemption for any disease and the expense should not be the most important factor," he said. Paisal Tanud, chairman of the network of people living with HIV/Aids, said the group had asked to meet the public health minister.
The government could take many steps to cut the price of Aids drugs.
Consumers were ready to compromise by paying a certain amount themselves, should the government buy generics.
Suphatra Nakhapiew, of the NGO on Human Rights Protection for Aids, said anti-retroviral drugs helped reduce opportunistic infections and death rates among HIV positive patients and were well worth the government's investment.
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