In this keynote, Occupational Therapy in Primary Health Care – A Distinctive Strategy from Thailand, Dr Pisak Chinchai shares how occupational therapy can be embedded within primary health care through community-led, locally responsive systems. Drawing on decades of experience in rural Thailand, he outlines a model that connects occupational therapists with community leaders, health promotion hospitals, caregivers, and village health volunteers to bridge the gap between hospital discharge and everyday life at home. The presentation shows how occupational therapy can strengthen independence, reduce avoidable hospitalisation, support chronic condition management, and enable fuller participation in daily occupations within the communities where people live.
The keynote highlights Thailand’s distinctive approach to primary health care, including the long-standing role of village health volunteers and the development of community rehabilitation centres that are practical, accessible, and low cost. Dr Chinchai shares how partnerships with local leaders and faith communities helped establish rehabilitation services closer to people’s homes, with locally made equipment and training that could be sustained by the community itself. Across the session, a clear message emerges: occupational therapy has a vital role in primary health care when it is rooted in local context, built through collaboration, and focused on improving quality of life in ways that are both meaningful and achievable for communities.
