Integration of basic occupational health services into primary health care in Thailand: Current situation and progress.

Abstract

Background: Informal workers are high-risk groups for getting occupational diseases. They also have difficulties in accessing occupational health services (OHSs). The Basic OHS (BOHS) program integrates BOHS activities into existing primary health care. The study aims to describe how the BOHS program has been developed and to update the situation of BOHS in Thailand.

Methods: Four steps for the development of the program include (1) preparation, (2) model development, (3) implementation and expansion, and (4) quality assurance (QA). The program started with the study of the situation of OHS in primary care units (PCUs) and identification of the gap for OH practice among PCUs' staff. The pilot study was conducted in 19 PCUs. After that, expansion of the model and quality assurance of the services have been implemented until now.

Results: In 2019, 84% of PCUs (8242) provided BOHS, but the number decreased to 22% (2123 PCUs) in 2020. The target groups were mainly farmers. The OHS activities include an arrangement of farmers' clinics and conducting outreach activities in the field. The latest health surveillance program for farmers reported that 40.5% of 862,585 farmers had high pesticide exposure by field-kit testing. Regarding the QA audit, 75% of PCUs were certified for basic or higher levels of BOHS standards.

Conclusions: Integration of OHS into the PCUs is feasible, successful and replicable. Its sustainability requires policy support, continued empowerment of staff, and resource allocation.