BANGKOK, June 29 (TNA) – From July 1, COVID-19 patients will use their normal treatment program because the country will then enter its post-pandemic era.
Attaporn Limpanyalert, deputy secretary-general of the National Health Security Office (NHSO), said that when the Ministry of Public Health announces the post-pandemic stage of COVID-19 on July 1, medical treatment for COVID-19 patients will enter a normal medical treatment system.
Patients would exercise their normal medical treatment right by first seeking treatment services from local hospitals which would then consider if any patients should be referred to another facility. COVID-19 infection would be considered as common cold infection, Mr Attaporn said.
COVID-19 treatment had cost the state more than 150 billion baht since 2020, he said.
He also said that the NHSO board would meet on July 4 and consider if the free distribution of antigen test kits through pharmacies should continue because the Department of Disease Control already required antigen tests for COVID-19 only when people had symptoms. (TNA)
