Health and medicine had always been prominent in His Majesty the King’s childhood.
His father, Prince Mahidol, was a pioneering doctor who dedicated his life to the plight
of the poor rural population. He initiated numerous healthcare programmes that brought
medical care to the far reaches of the provinces, where previously modern medicine
was unheard of.

His mother, the late Princess Mother, was a trained nurse who lent tenacious support
to her husband’s causes. It therefore comes as no surprise that His Majesty the King is
an ardent advocate of health and medical progress. In the 50 years of reign, he will always
be fondly remembered by his people as the King who never forgets when they fall ill.

Magsaysay award winner Dr Prawase Wasi, recalled, “Thirty years ago, state medical
facilities in the provinces were scarce and under-developed. During His Majesty’s
frequent visits to rural areas, he would come across sick, malnourished people or
those suffering from malaria who were desperate for medical attention and did
not know where to turn to for help. Since then, wherever he goes, His Majesty will
always take with him a team of doctors and nurses to treat those who come to him
with their illness.”

His Majesty’s actions prompted a fundamental change in the attitude of healthcare authorities.
Doctors and healthcare officials began to realise that medical treatment had to be distributed
for it to reach the people.

Apart from being instrumental in changing attitudes and actively assisting national health
programmes, His Majesty has played a direct role since the 1950s in assisting in eradicating
several specific diseases that were widespread in the country. Former public health minister
Dr Sem Pringpuangkaew says that after the second World War, the country’s most dreaded
disease was tuberculosis. “The state did not know how to contain the disease because at that
time there were no sanitoriums to house those infected. The King, however, took a personal
interest and set up the Anti-Tuberculosis Society to help prevent the disease from spreading.”