Insurance firms ordered to honour Covid-19 claims within 15 days
The Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) has ordered insurance firms to compensate Covid-19 policyholders 15 days after receiving all documents. This order is effective as of September 1.
Hundreds of insurance policyholders have recently complained that insurance firms have left them waiting despite being provided with all relevant documents.
OIC secretary Suthipol Taweechaikarn said his agency has acknowledged this issue and had officials monitor the situation closely. He said in response to the order, many companies have adjusted their system to make payments faster.
The OIC has ordered companies with more than 100 outstanding compensation issues to establish a special division that only deals with Covid-19 cases. The examination of documents must be completed within three days and compensation paid within 15 days if all documents are in order. The company must inform the customer on the same day if documents are incomplete.
In disputed cases, insurance firms must report them to the OIC within seven days and report developments to the OIC every 15 days.
The OIC said it will establish four teams to investigate these cases.
Suthipol said the OIC may temporarily ease rules for insurance firms so they can make payments more quickly, especially since they have to deal with thousands of applications daily. He said the OIC is fixing issues and confirmed that all insurance firms are strong.
Meanwhile, Arnon Wangwasu, president of the Thai General Insurance Association, added that insurance firms were hiring more people to look after this issue. He said the number of claims submitted has risen 100-fold and since many members of staff are working from home, the process is delayed.
Southeast Insurance, for instance, has hired 180 people to deal with this issue directly. It has also set up a system of receiving claim applications via Line and can address 1,000 to 1,500 cases daily. The 10,000 or so outstanding cases should be solved within two weeks, the company said.
The company also said many customers have sent rapid antigen test results for Covid-19 instead of RT-PCR tests, and that it has had to ask for new results.
Arnon has advised policyholders to have the following documents ready when applying for a claim: • An RT-PCR Covid-19 test result from labs certified by the Department of Medical Sciences • Identification card • Details of bank account registered with the company.
Sinovac-AstraZeneca combo safe and effective, insists Public Health Ministry
People whose first jab was Sinovac and second jab AstraZeneca have shown a significant boost in immunity against Covid-19, Public Health Ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit, said on Thursday.
“The ministry has stopped giving two doses of Sinovac and is instead giving a Sinovac-AstraZeneca combination,” he said. “So far, 1.5 million such combinations have been administered and have proven to be safe and effective.”
Dr Supphakit Siriluck, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, said the Sinovac-AstraZeneca combo is as effective as two doses of AstraZeneca, but the second dose can be administered faster. The interval between jabs for Sinovac is two to four weeks, while that of AstraZeneca is 16 weeks.
“The Sinovac-AstraZeneca formula allows us to vaccinate more people in a wider area in a shorter time,” he said. “The ministry is also planning to provide AstraZeneca booster shots to the 3 million people who have received two shots of Sinovac.”
Meanwhile, Dr Manas Phothaporn, deputy director-general of the Department of Medical Services, said the ministry has adjusted its treatment strategy for Covid-19 patients by prescribing Favipiravir tablets to patients with mild or no symptoms.
“By giving the drug before symptoms escalate, patients can recover faster and make more beds available at community isolation centres,” he said. “Those who have tested positive but are still asymptomatic will be given Fah Talai Jone provided they have no underlying health issues.”
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is planning to launch a new round of registration for Covid-19 jabs via its Thai Ruam Jai website if it has enough doses available.
Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said second jabs are currently being provided to Bangkok residents at 25 vaccination stations across the city.
He said once the administration of second jabs is completed, BMA will check to see how many doses are remaining. If there are any left, it will launch a new round of registration via the Thai Ruam Jai website immediately, the governor added.
From June 7 to August 21, 1,361,511 people in Greater Bangkok received their first AstraZeneca jab. Of those vaccinated, 1,045,219 were aged between 18 and 59, while 316,292 were seniors or people with chronic conditions.
Meanwhile, from August 30 to September 1, 79,567 people in Greater Bangkok have received their second AstraZeneca jab.
Don suggests synergising Thai-Japanese growth strategies
Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in a webinar on “Envisioning the Future: Thailand-Japan Strategic Economic Partnership”, along with other representatives of Thailand and Japan.
The webinar, attended by 978 participants, was organised jointly by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Japan on July 21.
The objective was to provide a platform for exchanging views among high-level representatives from the public, private and academic sectors on how Thailand and Japan can enhance economic cooperation amid current opportunities and challenges in bilateral, sub-regional and regional levels.
In particular, the Covid-19 pandemic which has widely impacted the economy, society as well as well-being of people, have made both sides realise that to move forward, development must be pursued with focus on sustainable and inclusive growth in order to create peace, prosperity and sustainable wellness for people across all economic zones, regions and the world at large, the Thai Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don also proposed ways for cooperation with Japan in order to further strengthen the strategic economic partnership. He emphasised the importance of synergising Thailand’s new growth paradigm, the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy model, with Japan’s Green Growth Strategy in four main areas:
▪Transformation of Thailand’s automobile industry to the complete zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) industry by utilising Thailand’s over-30 year experience as a global automotive production base;
▪Bio-cycle creation consisting of bio-fuel and bio-mass in economic circuit; ▪Smart food industry
▪BCG entrepreneurship incubation as well as skilled labour development in BCG-related industries.
Japan’s Ambassador to Thailand Nashuda Kazuya gave a special lecture on “Towards a new stage of Japan-Thailand cooperation”.
He underscored the everlasting friendship between Thailand and Japan through thick and thin, especially when Japan was hit by disasters during the great earthquake and tsunami and when Thailand faced severe flooding over a decade ago. In these situations, both countries had shown true generosity in helping each other, he said.
Recently, Japan also granted 1.05 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to Thailand and provided various forms of assistance to help support the efforts of the Thai government in coping with the Covid-19 situation.
Nashida stressed the importance of Thailand as a long-term key production base for Japanese companies. He noted that looking ahead, Thailand and Japan should focus their cooperation in new areas especially on:
Don suggests synergising Thai-Japanese growth strategies
(1) establishing the co-creation partnership, which focuses on enhancing collaboration and social development through brainstorming, finding constructive solutions, bridging the gaps, and creating innovations;
(2) Strengthening and mobilising the industrial sector towards sustainability by setting up a fund valued at 2 trillion yen (approximately US$18.1 billion) for the private sector to conduct research and development in carbon neutral technology to create a low-carbon society by 2050 in line with Thailand’s flagship BCG model, which aims to stimulate the expansion of new businesses and investments from Japan.
The panel discussion was conducted under the theme “What now & What next: Thailand-Japan Strategic Economic Partnership in Challenging Times”.
Don suggests synergising Thai-Japanese growth strategies Amongst the panelists were: Sihasak Phuangketkeaw, special adviser of the Eastern Economic Corridor Office (EECO), former permanent secretary for foreign affairs and former ambassador to Thailand to Japan; Chirapan Oulapathorn, chairman, Thai–Japanese Industrial Cooperation Institute; Aree Chavalitcheewingul, president of Cementhai Holding Co Ltd; Yurugi Yoshiko, chief representative at the Asian Representative Office in Bangkok, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation; Prof Oizumi Keiichiro, professor at the Institute for Asian Studies, Asia University; Chokki Morikazu, chairman of Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co Ltd; and Morita Keisuke, managing director of Spiber (Thailand) Ltd.
The panelists exchanged views on how to create value for the future of Thailand-Japan Strategic Partnership. They highlighted, among others, the importance of synergising Thailand’s BCG economy model and Japan’s Green Growth Strategy by working together on related industries, particularly ZEV and bio-industries, through human resource and high-skilled labour development and implementation of digital technology with the EEC as the targeted area. The panelists also suggested digital integration to facilitate the digital economy infrastructure.
While Japan’s public sector sees Thailand as global production base with well-equipped infrastructure and attractive investment promotion policies, they suggested capitalising on the huge Japanese business community in Thailand to move forward their mutually beneficial partnership and tackle new economic challenges.
In this regard, a five-year Joint Strategic Plan on Thailand-Japan Strategic Partnership should be formulated, which would coincide with the 135th anniversary of the establishment of Thailand-Japan diplomatic relations in 2022.
In the webinar, Don said Thailand and Japan have shared 134 years of “true friendship”, highlighting that both countries had together gone through many challenges and always extended each other a helping hand.
Thailand and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1887 and later became strategic partners in 2005.
Japan is Thailand’s second biggest trade partner, with total trade valued at US$50.556 billion in 2020.
Also, the country is the biggest investor in Thailand, with around 15,000 companies registered in the country. Japan sees Thailand as an important investment base in the Southeast Asia region.
In 2018, Japanese private companies agreed to collaborate with the government to develop a smart city in the Eastern Economic Corridor.
Don suggests synergising Thai-Japanese growth strategies
Four drugs for rare diseases added to national list of essential medication
Four “orphan” drugs, or pharmaceuticals that have not been commercially developed, will be added to Thailand’s national drug list for patients with rare conditions.
On August 2, the National Health Security Board approved in principle the inclusion of the drugs in category E(2), a subcategory of drugs under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).
Category E(2) includes a list of orphan drugs and priority medicines listed to improve accessibility to drugs and to protect the public.
Orphan drugs are required by a limited number of patients, and the prescription of these drugs requires special expertise, involves advanced technology and they can be too costly for many in society.
In addition, doctors must prescribe these drugs under an authorized system monitored by relevant government offices, including the National Health Security Office (NHSO), Comptroller General’s Department, Finance Ministry, Social Security Office and Labour Ministry.
Dr Jakkrit Ngowsiri, the NHSO deputy secretary-general, listed the four drugs as:
• Imatinib – an oral chemotherapy medication used in cancer treatment.
• Dasatinib – used for the treatment of certain cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
• Tocilizumab – an immunosuppressive drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, which is a severe form of arthritis in children.
• Ceftazidime/avibactam – used for the treatment of bacterial infections.
Imatinib and Dasatinib will be prescribed to child patients with Philadelphia Chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ALL), a rare subtype of the most common childhood cancer.
Tocilizumab will be used in child patients aged over two, who have systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and who have not improved with other types of medical treatments.
Ceftazidime/avibactam will be provided to patients with Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae who have resistance to colistin, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections.
Dr Jakkrit said the availability of these drugs would save the lives of at least 316 patients covered by the Universal Coverage Scheme.
The NHSO will procure the drugs, expected to cost around 77 million baht, and distribute them to hospitals treating these patients.
Manufacture of products using kratom require FDA permission
The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday warned that the processing of kratom leaves into food and drugs requires approval from the FDA before selling.
FDA deputy secretary-general Dr Withid Sariddeechaikool announced on Thursday that the use of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) for processed commercial products, such as food, drugs and herbal products, will need permission from the FDA.
The FDA has established an institution to provide advice on the products made using kratom and details on how to obtain permission efficiently.
The legally licensed products will display clearly the effectiveness and benefits of the product and will be safe for consumption.
Dr Withid also advised users to consult knowledgeable or experienced persons in the community before direct consumption of kratom.
Kratom was removed from the country’s narcotics list on August 24. The plants are found mostly in the South, close to the border area. Kratom leaves are popularly chewed fresh or boiled into tea to stimulate energy and reduce fatigue.
In Thailand, it has been used as a remedy for dysentery, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
Thundershowers forecast all over Thailand with isolated heavy rains in some areas
The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Friday that the moderate southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand, while a monsoon trough lies across the lower North, the upper Central, and the Northeast regions.
Continuous rainfall is forecast for the whole country with isolated heavy rains in the lower North, the Northeast, the Central, the East and the South regions.
People should beware of rain accumulation that may cause flash floods, the department said.
The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees Celsius, highs of 32-35°C.
Northeast: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 31-33°C.
Central: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 32-34°C.
East: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy to very heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 32-33°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (east coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 32-33°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 20-24°C, highs of 29-31°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 24-25°C, highs of 32-34°C.
Thailand recorded 14,653 Covid-19 cases and 271 deaths on Friday
Ministry of Public Health reported on Friday (September 3) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 14,653 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 256 of whom have been found in prisons.
Death toll increased by 271, while 18,262 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
Cumulative cases in the country are at 1,249,140 with 12,374 total deaths.
THB110 million paid out in vaccination compensation
The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has so far received 3,888 applications for its vaccination compensation programme, with 99 requests still pending further information.
NHSO committees have considered 2,875 complaints of adverse effects from vaccination and agreed to pay initial compensation totalling 110.29 million baht. However, 914 of those complaints were rejected by officials.
NHSO secretary-general Jadej Thammathacharee said initial compensation was divided into three levels according to the severity of adverse reactions.
Level 1 offers compensation up to 100,000 baht for symptoms requiring continuous treatment. There were 2,641 recipients of level 1 compensation.
Level 2 offers compensation of up to 240,000 baht for damage, dismemberment or disability that affects livelihood (12 recipients).
Level 3 offers up to 400,000 baht in case of death or permanent disability after vaccination. A total of 222 recipients and relatives of the deceased have received level 3 payments.
Bangkok had the most complaints with 840 cases, followed by Chiang Mai (559) and Ubon Ratchathani (451). However, Saraburi saw the highest compensation payment – of 13 million baht.
Payment of initial compensation is not an admission that the vaccination had caused the adverse effects, but rather a remedy to reduce the impact, said Dr Jadej. He added that the NHSO will not ask recipients to return the compensation money even if it is later proved that the symptoms in question were not caused by the vaccine.
BMA eyes launching new round of jab booking
BMA eyes launching new round of jab booking
Don suggests synergising Thai-Japanese growth strategies
Don suggests synergising Thai-Japanese growth strategies
Don suggests synergising Thai-Japanese growth strategies
SootinClaimon.Com 