In
1972, a group of doctors and nurses have established “Rural E.N.T. Project”.
Initially, this group traveled to remote rural areas where healthcare is not
readily available
to treat ear, nose and throat and other associated medical
problems free of charge. Over the years this group has grown in size and
currently evolved into “The Rural Ear Nose and Throat Foundation of
Thailand” (hereafter referred to as ‘the Foundation’) which is a non-profit
tax deductible charity foundation as approved by the Ministry of Finance
announcement 38 dated 4 December 2000, No. 382. The Foundation dedicates
itself to serve the underprivileged poor and disable.
The service is mainly offered in community hospitals (or district hospitals), especially the rural areas where economic status is low and transportation is problematic, or have an issue in ear diseases. We have started and maintained our service up until present. Our service has now covered more than 350 districts in all provinces throughout Thailand. We have served our medical care to over 120,000 patients and surgical operation to 12,000 of them.
In each service visit, we examine and treat 300-500 outpatients per day on an average basis. Approximately 30-35 of these patients would get surgical operation. The operation is to prevent death or disability from abscess rupture into the brain, which is a direct result from untreated cholesteatoma/ severe otitis media. Tympanoplasty was performed on patients with ruptured tympanic membrane in order to improve hearing and prevent chronic otitis media.
Following are the brief objectives:
To promote and to assist otolaryngologists and to train other medical personnel in examining and treating rural population.
To promote and to distribute otolaryngology and medical literature and know how to operate rural medical and public health personal.
To promote awareness of otolaryngology to the general public.
To promote and to assist in the research works of The Royal College of otolaryngologists of Thailand.
To promote and to assist to procure medicine and equipments for those needy rural ear nose and throat medical units.
To promote and to assist other public health units and charitable organizations.