Thailand News Today | Thai Govt takes steps to make Covid endemic

Despite calls to delay removing Covid-19 treatment from the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme, Thailand’s health minister is pushing ahead as part of the government’s policy to downgrade the virus to endemic.

Anutin Chanvirakul was responding to calls from a number of quarters, including his deputy, Sathit, who asked him to postpone the removal until April due to the surge in infections in recent days.

The UCEP scheme currently allows Covid patients to be treated for free at any hospital for 3 days, before being transferred to the hospital they’re registered at under their welfare scheme. However, from March 1, Covid will no longer be classified as one of the conditions covered by the scheme.

Patients who test positive for the virus but who are not critically ill will only be able to have treatment covered at the one hospital where they’re registered. Only…