Bangkok residents with bedridden relatives can now access free medical equipment through the Fa-Equipment loan service, as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Department of Health recently publicized the initiative. The service offers a range of items, including patient beds, wheelchairs, oxygen concentrators, suction machines, walking canes, walkers, and crutches, with other public health items available upon assessed need.
Eligibility for the Fa-Equipment service is specific: it is open to elderly individuals, people with disabilities, and dependent or bedridden patients residing in Bangkok. Crucially, applicants must be under the care of a public health service center, and a social worker or multidisciplinary team must deem the equipment necessary. Mere age or disability status does not guarantee access to the loan service.
To initiate a request, individuals can either visit the Fa-Equipment website or contact a social worker at their nearest public health service center. Sixty-nine centers across Bangkok participate in the program, identified by numbers from Center 1 at Saphan Mon to Center 69 at Khan Na Yao. Following a request, a social worker or multidisciplinary team will conduct a home visit to assess the patient’s specific needs. Once assessed, the equipment will be provided along with instructions for its use.
Patients who are unable to visit a service center in person can have a third party submit the request on their behalf. In such cases, both the patient’s ID card and the applicant’s ID card must be presented to staff. The recent announcement did not specify that this third party must be a relative.
The announcement also did not detail specific required documents, such as medical certificates or copies of house registrations. Prospective applicants are advised to contact their local public health service center beforehand to confirm the necessary documentation.
All equipment is loaned, not gifted, and must be returned to the BMA once the patient no longer requires it, allowing for redistribution to other patients. The announcement made on 24 August 2026 did not stipulate a fixed loan period. Residents who own unused medical equipment are encouraged to register it for donation through the Fa-Equipment system, enabling the items to be loaned to other patients in need.