Fridae

Senator, advocate for the poor, and Aids activist Jon Ungphakorn has called for free access to HIV and Aids medication.

Thailand's newly elected Prime Minister Thaksin ran on a populist platform promising sweeping changes to the healthcare system, based around reducing fees to 30 baht per visit. Since his accession, plans have been hastily developed and are about to be deployed.

Among the voices being heard now is Senator Jon's, who is drafting an alternative to the national health bill being put forward by the Thaksin government. Last week, he was seen protesting at the Health Ministry, demanding the government switch from expensive branded HIV/Aids drugs to generic drugs, which would allow many more patients to receive medication at government expense.

Saturday, he spoke at a seminar, and outlined a complete vision for national health, including what appeared to be a largely socialized plan, with free office visits, and free medications for patients with chronic diseases. He said that the people have a constitutional right to basic medical care, the Bangkok Post reported.

On the other side of the health care debate, Budget Bureau director Poonsub Piyanan said that the 30 baht plan already ran the risk of overspending the resources the government as accessible at this point, according to the Post.