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end in failure. Misperception of the definition of health misleads the government sector as to the main purpose of reformation efforts.“At the top of the pyramid, the government does not really know what is going on at the bottom. The root cause of this misperception goes back to the history of Thai education.“Thai education emphasizes memorisation,” Prof Prawase said, “and theories on textbooks were derived from the West during the colonial period. As education has not been based on the real context of Thai society, generations of Thai students have never learned about the actual situation of their own country.“They will never know what local communities or agriculture consist of. While students do not have opportunities to understand theproblems that most Thai citizens encounter, they continue their studies abroad and absorb knowledge passed on from foreign cultures.”Education is completely separated from the context of Thai society. Even though a significant portion of the national budget is spent on education every year, education itself is destabilizing the country while prolonged problems never get solved.The reformist doctor suggests that the ideal, practical method of education would be to translate interactive learning to action. Aside from education, there is another factor contributing to the ill health of public health reform. Those who lose interest in public health campaigns, especially private interests who see medical treatment as a commercial affair, often see reformists as their enemies.“We are trying to decrease medica- tion costs by offering more options to patients, but some pharmaceutical manufacturers are trying to discredit the campaign by writing articles against the activists. Public health reform is a challenge that hardly ever succeeds, however we will persist in these efforts to improve society. At least the idea of reform will be cultivated in the country so people will be aware that reforms are neces- sary.”One of the key approaches to reform in Thailand is decentralization, since the current centralized adminis- tration allows a single party to take control over the whole system. It gives an incentive to those who are yearning for power to corrupt it or stage a takeover. At the same time, inclusive growth is suggested as an alternative for developing the economy. It is essential for the admin-Elite+ 7


































































































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