Bangkok, This Valentine's Day, disabled and elderly people Travel from home to Bangkok hospital, convenient and free, with the new taxi service for the disabled. Mr. Panumas Sukamporn, Advisor to the Governor of Bangkok Revealing the provision of car service for the disabled and elderly who use wheelchairs, that the project provides car service for the disabled and the elderly who use wheelchairs. Or known to many as "Taxi for the Disabled" has been in operation for many years. Originally there were a total of 30 cars, which Bangkok assigned the business under its authority to Krungthep Thanakom Company Limited (KT) to operate the project for a period of 4 years (1 October 2016 - 30 September 2020), with Bangkok supporting some of the budget. and KT provided sponsors for some of the expenses. After the end of the assignment memorandum (September 30, 2020 - October 2, 2022), KT will continue to support and provide bus operation services without charge. In the fiscal year 2023, Bangkok by the Bureau Traffic and Transport has provided a subsidy to KT to support the project. The service starts from October 3, 2022 - September 26, 2023, for a total of 360 days, which is a service with 10 vehicles. After the end of the memorandum of understanding to receive subsidies KT continues to support and provide bus services until now. without charge During the period 27 September - 30 November 2023, there will be a service of 10 buses, and from 1 December 2023 - 31 January 2024, there will be a service of 5 cars, then the service will cease. 'As for the service problems that arise, it is difficult for people with disabilities and the elderly to access services. The service is not comprehensive. (Only some groups are in use) The service is not enough to meet the needs. Use a high operating budget Not worth the car trip Bangkok therefore must find ways to make this service sustainable and provide better services. Because disabled people or elderly people in wheelchairs need to travel to the hospital. which general mass trans it is not yet covered,' said Advisor Panumat. Assoc. Prof. Tavida Kamonvej, Deputy Governor of Bangkok He added that Currently, some cars have deteriorated due to age. There are 20 cars remaining that can still be used, with this number being in the process of being transferred to Bangkok. The Medical Office will receive 18 vehicles, and the Social Development Office will receive 2 vehicles. This means that the 18 vehicles transferred by the Medical Office will be distributed among the 11 hospitals under Bangkok and the other 2 vehicles received by the Social Development Office. The transfer will be used for those caring for the elderly. From the numbers of regular users of hospitals under Bangkok, it is found that there are 5,000 people with disabilities and approximately 100,000 elderly people with difficulty in moving, which is a relatively high number. Therefore, there must be an efficient organization of the 20 service vehicles. It will be open to disabled people and the elderly to make reservations th rough the system in several channels, such as LINE add to the hospital. Call the Medical Office's information center or the Easy Chat system via the Bangkok Doctor application, which will have the Medical Office take care of the queue. In terms of service conditions, necessity will be assessed based on indications. Both physical aspects (such as patients with ADL level 5-12, patients with movement problems The patient must have stable vital signs and not be in a critical condition. Patients who have ongoing treatment appointments with hospitals affiliated with the Medical Office In the case of those who do not need to come to the hospital Will consider providing services using Telemedicine to follow up on medical treatment. and home visits) and social aspects (home visits and found economic problems) Service characteristics There will be no more than 4 trips/day/vehicle service. By considering the necessity of providing services at the discretion of medical personnel. Including making an appointment to requ est shuttle service for the disabled or elderly. at least 1 week in advance, which will be a service based on the Health Zone area, with the origin and destination being the residence of the service recipient or a hospital affiliated with Bangkok. Bangkok will open for service reservations on February 7, 2024 and will begin The service will be provided free of charge on February 14, 2024. However, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration would like to apologize for the two-week shutdown. For the future Bangkok may expand to secondary target groups, such as disabled people who need to travel to Sirindhorn Institute. (Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi Province) But in this first phase, the service will be provided to the main target group who need to travel to hospitals under Bangkok first. After opening the service Data will be collected for approximately 3 months in order to improve services or consider expanding services to secondary target groups. As for long-term measures That is, look at various regulati ons as well as cooperate with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. Department of Promotion and Development of Quality of Life for Persons with Disabilities Find guidelines for providing welfare regarding travel for disabled people and elderly people who use wheelchairs. Amending the Bangkok regulations regarding expenses for providing welfare and assistance. as well as coordinating with the private sector to join in providing services, etc. Within this year, methods must be devised to make this service more sustainable and more comprehensive. Source: Thai News Agency