An official Government Gazette announcement aims to unlock Covid-19 vaccination procurements by allowing local government organisations, the private sector and private hospitals to purchase COVID-19 vaccines.
The announcement is intended to regulate, promote and support covid-19 vaccine distribution in a flexible and efficient manner towards a coverage of at least 70% of the population. (not less than fifty million people).
Apart from the Department of Disease Control, the announcement names the Thai Red Cross Society, Chulabhorn Royal College and government agencies with duties and powers to provide medical services or public health to the public as agencies to cooperate in the urgent procurement, ordering or importing of the COVID-19 vaccines.
The Hua Hin municipality has already announced that an invitation has been sent to the Chulabhorn Royal College to quote on the supply of 50,000 doses of vaccine.
In order to encourage people to have greater access to the COVID-19 vaccine, private health care facilities and the private sector may procure or request COVID-19 vaccine support from agencies under the laws, rules, regulations or criteria to serve the people or personnel in their care.
The vaccine must be a registered vaccine organisations must set the price of vaccines and related services for the benefit of the people.
At present, vaccines produced or imported into the Kingdom are still a limited, which may be increased if local government provide vaccines for the people in their area.
Procurements must be made in accordance with relevant rules or regulations including rules or budget expenditure plans of local government organisations and must comply with the guidelines for the management of the COVID-19 vaccine under emergency situations as prescribed by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration or the Prime Minister and under the supervision of the provincial governor and the provincial communicable disease committee.
This is to avoid disparities in vaccine procurement of local governments with budget and income potential differences and to ensure the fair distribution of vaccines during critical times.
The announcement also allows both government agencies and the private sector to link and integrate information with the Doctor Ready platform system of the Ministry of Public Health for the highest safety of people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and for systematic and efficient information management.
