Unit cost analysis of medical education programme at Khon Kaen Medical Education Centre

Abstract

Medical Education Centre (MEC) initiated by OCPIRD and MOPH has the main objective to increase production of doctors practicing in the rural areas. This study was intended to analyze the average total cost (unit cost) of Medical Education Programme per year at Khon Kaen Medical Education Centre. The cost data during the academic year 1998 was collected and used to project the average total cost of full Medical Education Programme in academic year 1999, and 2000. This study classified the cost into fixed cost and variable cost. The fixed cost was capital depreciation cost, labor cost (personnel and instructors' salary), and the training cost. The variable cost was material cost and non-material cost. The study found that the average total cost (unit) of Medical Education Programme was 559,208.49 Baht, of which 93.12% of the total cost was the fixed cost, and only 6.88% was variable cost. Among the fixed cost components, the capital depreciation cost was 64.66%, which is the highest category. The second cost comes from the labor cost (personnel and instructors salary) which was 28.11%. However the variable cost was found to less than half of the amount of subsidy given by the government i.e.109,508.08 Baht per student per year. The policy implication from this study indicated that the cost performance of the teaching at MEC was vastly higher cost than in a medical school sue to the initiation period of investment of the new building, equipment and training, this caused the higher fixed cost. The result of this study could be useful and can help the administrators and policy makers to make a plan on Medical Education Protramme at the existing MEC to achieve the objectives of CPIRD project.