| The objective of this survey research was to study the potential of Tumbon Admisnistration Organizations (TAOs) for primary health care (PHC) performance in the areas of administration, activities and problems. Data were collected by questionnaires sent to 165 subjects (55 presidents, 55 chairmans and 55 deputies) in 55 TAOs in Amnatcharoen Province from December 2003 to February 2004.
In the opinion of the TAO deputies, TAOs had personnel responsible for PHC activities (50.90%), personnel from other organizations recruited for performing activities (36.36 %). Most of TAO personnel (89.10%) had training experience in health care administration, especially in disease control and prevention (26.25%). The PHC plans were proposed by TAO members (29.68%) and were granted according to the project urgency principle (50.48%). In 21.21% of TAOs the plan approval were done in coordination with health care personnel with TAO deputies as coordinators (23.14%). The PHC activities in TAO were evaluated annually (67.59%).
In the opinion of the presidents, chairmans and deputies of TAOs, in the overall, PHC activities arranged by TAOs were between good and excellent levels (37.40%). Some activities were on the excellent level, such as health knowledge and information management (48.48%), health promotion activities (58.18%) and disease control and prevention (49.09%). However, some activities needed improvement such as personnel development (37.57%), consumer right protection (36.96%) and PHC services (45.45%). The major problems in performing PHC activities in TAOs were inadequacy of budget, manpower, and knowledge and understanding in health care management of the personnel. |