"Ministry of Public Health" Monitoring 63 essential medicines, initially ensuring a minimum usage of 3 months, and issuing a directive allowing operators to change raw material sources as substitutes.
On 24 March 2026, Minister of Public Health Patthana Phromphat chaired a meeting on medical and public health preparedness amid the conflict in the Middle East region. He stated that the situation has impacted oil prices and increased transportation costs, posing risks to the healthcare system, especially emergency ambulance services.
This also affects plastic raw materials used to produce medicine and medical supply containers, which are sourced from the Middle East and risk shortages. Most imported medicines and medical supplies are manufactured in Europe, America, China, and India, potentially facing higher transportation costs and domestic shipping delays due to fuel constraints, though not to the extent of causing shortages.
The Ministry has established a three-phase response: short-term (0-6 months) focusing on energy management, reducing travel, holding online meetings, and implementing work-from-home policies without impacting the public. Coordination with fuel stations for emergency ambulances is enhanced. Telemedicine services are expanded to 30%, especially for stable chronic disease patients, with 100% use of postal medication refills. Dispensing periods for chronic disease medicines are adjusted to shorter durations of 1-2 months depending on local context.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has created a Watch List of essential medicines and medical supplies, including life-saving drugs, surgical medications, saline solution, dialysis fluid, chronic disease medicines, cancer drugs, and vaccines, closely monitoring stock levels from operators. There are initially 63 items with reserves sufficient for 3 to 12 months. Measures have been implemented to facilitate operators’ access to health products, including packaging and raw materials, allowing them to apply to change raw material sources to substitute original suppliers.
Minister Patthana added that the mid-term phase (6-9 months) focuses on increasing solar panel installations, which currently total 1,683 sites, covering 90.6% with a capacity of 129,113 kilowatts, generating 188 million units per year, saving 687 million baht annually, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 88,258 tons per year. There is a shift toward using alternative medicines per medical standards, promoting herbal medicines and domestic raw materials, and upgrading the Mor Prom Super App for telemedicine services.
The long-term phase (beyond 9 months) aims to use clean energy, replace old vehicles with electric cars, promote domestic drug research and development for health security, expand primary care units, and implement AI for pharmaceutical management. The Government Pharmaceutical Organization, producing 203 items and procuring 171 items, has purchased and stockpiled raw materials from European and American manufacturers to mitigate volatility and increased alternative raw material sources from Asian producers to diversify risks.
Provincial public health offices have been assigned to manage resources locally, closely monitoring five critical groups: oil, medicines, medical supplies, oxygen, and PPE kits. Reporting data indicates 25 provinces face moderate impacts from fuel issues but continue normal service. Additionally, business continuity plans (BCP) are being developed, and government paperwork is being fully digitized, with approval for all regional agencies to use the e-Office system by May 2026.