ภาพสะท้อนของประเทศไทย

The time we spent in Thailand was a wonderful experience to learn from. While here we spent much time learning about their healthcare system and how in some ways it surpasses our own. With the implementation of universal healthcare, many people can get the care that they need without being stopped by the extravagant costs of treatment that many Americans face. Its implementation seems to have been well done and is something I hope to see implemented in the states within my lifetime. However, it was surprising to see that in most hospitals all patient records are in paper form as opposed to being electronic. Having seen this in practice, I feel that I've taken our use of electronic patient records for granted. 

I was also impressed by the large scale use of traditional medication in the healthcare setting, such as message, acupuncture, and cupping. Coming to Thailand I'd expected to see some traditional treatment in practice, for example as a specialized clinic like one we visited in Chiang Mai that was dedicated to this. However, I was surprised to learn that this was supported in major hospitals and by the universal healthcare. Coming from America, where there's such a push to immediately treat using medication, it was refreshing to see this as an accepted treatment option.