Page 170 - J Trad Med 21-1-2566

150 วารสารการแพทย์แผนไทยและการแพทย์ ทางเลือก ปีที่ 21 ฉบับที่ 1 มกราคม-เมษายน 2566

Study of the Situation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctors in the Public
Health System of Thailand

Thitarat Sutthachaianan , Vorachai Kongsangchai, Virunpat Siangprasert
*
Institute of Thai-Chinese Medicine, Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine,
Ministry of Public Health, Talat Khwan Sub-District, Mueang District, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.
* Corresponding author: thitarat_sut@hotmail.com

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the situation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctors in Thailand by
analyzing (1) the performance information of a sample of 362 TCM doctors who had passed the registration ex-
amination and obtained a licence to practice TCM in Thailand; (2) the information on TCM graduates from TCM
academic institutes both in Thailand and abroad (People’s Republic of China) during academic years 2017–2020;
and (3) the information on the number of TCM diagnoses in fiscal years 2017–2021, using the data retrieved from
the Health Data Center (HDC) of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). Data were collected via online system
(Google form) using a questionnaire designed by the researchers. The obtained data were then analyzed using de-
scriptive statistics (frequency and percentage). Results showed that, among all the 362 TCM doctors or respondents,
163 (45.0%) worked in the private sector and the rest worked in the public sector, which included 161 (44.5%) in
the MOPH, 24 (6.6%) in non-MOPH state agencies, and 14 (3.9%) in local administrative organizations including
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). As for those under the MOPH, 70 worked as civil servants (public
health technical officers) and 69 as temporary employees (public health technical officers and TCM doctors); and
among those in local agencies as well as BMA, only 4 worked as civil servants (TCM doctors). Regarding TCM
graduates from TCM academic institutes both in Thailand and abroad, a total of 926 persons passed the registration
examination and obtained a licence to practice TCM during academic years 2017–2020 – the average production
capacity was 232 persons each year. An analysis of TCM diagnoses in fiscal years 2017–2021 showed that the
numbers of diagnoses performed by TCM doctors steadily increased for diseases that were public health problems,
while TCM services were available only at 984 healthcare facilities or 7.2% of all 13,602 such facilities across the
country. So TCM services were insufficient for the public to access. Therefore, it is necessary to recruit additional
TCM workforce in accordance with the 20-year National Strategic Plan (Public Health). In addition, section 5 (7)
of the Practice of the Arts Healing Act (No. 4) B.E. 2556 (2013) prescribes that “Chinese medicine” is one of the
healing arts practices under the supervision of the Professional Committee on Traditional Chinese Medicine. So the
MOPH should expedite concrete actions to establish adequate TCM doctor positions under its healthcare system as
most of their “TCM doctors”, who serve as civil servants, are recruited as “technical public health officers”, which
are not in line with their professional standards.
Key words: traditional Chinese medical doctor, licensed practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine,
professional committee on traditional Chinese medicine, bachelor of traditional Chinese
medicine, public health system of Thailand