Buddhist Holistic Health of Monks: Policies, Benefits and Forms of Community Support in Thai Society

Abstract

The purpose of this research paper was to study the monks' access to health services and the holistic health care management system including proposing the policies, benefits and forms of holistic health care of monks in Thai society. It was a policy research study with the steps of the research process as follows: 1) problem identification steps; 2) decision agenda steps; and 3) policy proposal steps. The results of the research found that 1) monks' access to health services in Thai society found that most monks used private company health insurance for 38.80%, followed by 30 baht for universal health coverage and a fund/ public sector group health insurance right at 32.66% and 15.94% respectively indicating that monks' access to health services was not meeting state requirements and the participation of monks in local funds or areas was still very little. 2) The holistic health care management system of monks found that the National Monk's Health Constitution was promulgated to be used as a framework to take care of the health of the Sangha organization and to create the health of the community. There were 4 forms: (1) a system for holistic health care by Dhammavinaya; (2) a system for managing the holistic health of monks; (3) the monk health care management system according to the National Monk's  Health Constitution; and (4) the monk's health care management system according to local wisdom; and 3) in the aspect of policies, benefits, and the forms of holistic health care of the monks in Thai society, a database system had been established as well as there were communication and understanding for monks' access to public health services. There should be arrangement of Phrakilanupataka in the temples and the development of temples to promote health which must have network, partners that supported health and promoted the leadership roles in the intellectual health of monks in creating the well-being of the Sangha organization leading to social well-being.