Analysis of budget allocation for general and regional hospitals in Thailand

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to suggest the resource allocation pattern for achieving equity for regional and general hospitals in Thailand and relation to health need population. The equity is defined as an equity of input and equity of output for equal need, by studying only the regional and general hospitals recurrent budget in the fiscal year 1997 under the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Health. The data collected from the Provincial Hospital Division and the Health Insurance Office using descriptive analysis method and weighted populations. This study used four factors to apply analysis to the budget allocation namely the hospital need in terms of input and in terms of output, the economic and social factor, the non-government budget and the number of people insured in social security scheme. The results of the study of 6 equations were also presented. Every equation has 3 variables which represent social and economic data, non-government budget and provincial population. First equation used variable of hospital need in terms of input. Second equation used variable of hospital need in terms of output. Third equation used variable of hospital need in terms of input including number of referral. Fourth equation used variable of hospital need in terms of output including number of referral. Fifth equation used variable of hospital need in terms of input including number of insure in social security scheme. Sixth equation used variable of hospital need in terms of output including number of social security scheme. The analysis showed that the weighted populations was the major basis of the actual budget allocation for regional and general hospitals at present. The 6 patterns in this study is one concept of equitable allocation. The factors used in the 6 patterns have similar influence, the weighted populations value for each hospitals in the 6 patterns were not much different due to the formulas used in each equations. However, the variables in each patterns have both advantages and disadvantages.