Dear Sally,
I have done a bit of research on background and basic components for Legal Clinic at Mae Sot hospital. A brief summary is given below.
The legal clinic is focused on two issues Legal status and reclaiming the entitled basic rights. The first objective is to enable the hospital to provide Birth Certificate (Tor Lor 13 or Tor Lor 38.Kor) to all cases born at the hospital. The second objective is to enable problem owner to reclaim their rights under Thai law such as health coverage, rights to travel outside designated area, higher education etc. The third objective is to advocate for better policy design and implementation based on the evidence of case study (clinic client).
The core activities of legal clinic
1. Identification of Problem and Tool design
2. Classroom: Capacity building and training for hospital staffs/volunteers, barefoot lawyers, problem owners and partners
3. Law consultation: providing legal advice to case to enabling their rights or application for entitled legal status. The legal clinic staffs/volunteers will normally review
4. Database development
5. Public forum and advocacy
The basic procedure for Birth Certificate for all at the hospital
- Encourage the delivery unit to enter the online data of the new born case to issue the delivery document (Tor Lor 1/1)
- The legal clinic staff cross check with the delivery unit for the new born case daily
- The delivery room prepares the required documents for legal clinic to use to register for the birth certificate at the local municipality
- The legal clinic scan the birth certificate to the database
- The legal clinic will check on the health care entitlement of children.1.) If a child is not entitled to the health coverage by Thailand, the clinic will advise parents to buy the health insurance. 2.) If a child is entitled for Thai health coverage, the legal clinic will process for the health care coverage for the child.
- The legal clinic will summary the process and any legal comment for each case.
Budget need
1. One legal staff/lawyer
2. Translator/Assistant
3. Basic IT equipment (Laptop, camera etc.)
4. Transportation
5. Miscellaneous
Challenge
The previous Mae Sot hospital rejected the proposal of Thammasat /Bangkok clinic to set up the legal clinic at the hospital.
Once the Mae Sot hospital give approval for IOM to process the legal clinic. I could approach the Thammasat team to move forward the implementation. I attached the basic documents of Legal clinic model in other districts. Apologise as most of documents are in Thai.
Best regard
Roisai