Urban Health Services
25 May 2007
We started our day with a visit to Health Center 23, which serves the 23rd district of Bangkok. The center focuses on health promotion, disease prevention and control, curative care and rehabilitation. We were shown a database of patient information and some awesome software used to track disease prevalence house by house. Then we had a tour of the clinic. The coolest thing about the clinic was how people really worked as part of an interdisciplinary team, and everyone was housed in the same building. Primary care, dentistry, mental health services, the TB clinic, PT, the drug addiction clinic, the pharmacy, the social worker, pre/post natal care, even a vet clinic to vaccinate dogs and cats against rabies. It was so cool. And all the services offered are covered under the universal health care plan. What a neat model. Even bigger items like walkers and medical equipment are provided to clients free of charge. Social workers appear to have a bigger role in disability rehabilitation than they do in the US (or maybe that role is just defined differently) and mental health picks up learning disabilities, because there is nothing specific in the schools. This is the kind of model I'm interested in working with and learning more about, to integrate health care services and make them accessible to neighborhoods and communities.
On a more practical note, staff at the clinic laughed at us as we waited in line for the one western toilet, and we were served an "American boxed lunch" which included a friend egg and some intense jello.
We had the afternoon to visit the Grand Palace, which was spectacular. The whole thing was built in about two years, so they pulled workers in from everywhere and consequently the architectural styles are all quite different. The colors were spectacular and there were some amazing murals as well. We even got to see women putting new shiny stuff up on the walls - I guess they go around constantly replacing it. It was hot and I was annoyed by the brits who were trying to bum our tour, but we had a really nice guide who told us all kinds of neat things about the palace and grounds - most of which I have probably forgotten. I do remember that the current king of Thailand was born in Boston (his father studied at Harvard) and Bangkok is Thai for "city of the angels."
We went back to the hotel for a quick rest/refresher, and then out for dinner with the Wisconsin Alumni Association of Thailand. It was quite the awkward experience. Everyone was late because the traffic was horrendous, and we were all so exhausted we didn't really have much to say. The president of Siam University was there (apparently he is a Wisconsin grad) and gave us all hats. Ironically they are Badger colors.
We started our day with a visit to Health Center 23, which serves the 23rd district of Bangkok. The center focuses on health promotion, disease prevention and control, curative care and rehabilitation. We were shown a database of patient information and some awesome software used to track disease prevalence house by house. Then we had a tour of the clinic. The coolest thing about the clinic was how people really worked as part of an interdisciplinary team, and everyone was housed in the same building. Primary care, dentistry, mental health services, the TB clinic, PT, the drug addiction clinic, the pharmacy, the social worker, pre/post natal care, even a vet clinic to vaccinate dogs and cats against rabies. It was so cool. And all the services offered are covered under the universal health care plan. What a neat model. Even bigger items like walkers and medical equipment are provided to clients free of charge. Social workers appear to have a bigger role in disability rehabilitation than they do in the US (or maybe that role is just defined differently) and mental health picks up learning disabilities, because there is nothing specific in the schools. This is the kind of model I'm interested in working with and learning more about, to integrate health care services and make them accessible to neighborhoods and communities.
On a more practical note, staff at the clinic laughed at us as we waited in line for the one western toilet, and we were served an "American boxed lunch" which included a friend egg and some intense jello.
We had the afternoon to visit the Grand Palace, which was spectacular. The whole thing was built in about two years, so they pulled workers in from everywhere and consequently the architectural styles are all quite different. The colors were spectacular and there were some amazing murals as well. We even got to see women putting new shiny stuff up on the walls - I guess they go around constantly replacing it. It was hot and I was annoyed by the brits who were trying to bum our tour, but we had a really nice guide who told us all kinds of neat things about the palace and grounds - most of which I have probably forgotten. I do remember that the current king of Thailand was born in Boston (his father studied at Harvard) and Bangkok is Thai for "city of the angels."
We went back to the hotel for a quick rest/refresher, and then out for dinner with the Wisconsin Alumni Association of Thailand. It was quite the awkward experience. Everyone was late because the traffic was horrendous, and we were all so exhausted we didn't really have much to say. The president of Siam University was there (apparently he is a Wisconsin grad) and gave us all hats. Ironically they are Badger colors.