Thailand Plan To Emerge As A Healthcare Hub

[george]

Thai plan to emerge as a healthcare hub

BANBGKOK: -- The Thai government will proceed with plans to promote top state hospitals and spas in the south as a pilot project to become a regional healthcare centre, the Bangkok Post said yesterday.

Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said on Saturday that the project is aimed at drawing in more foreign patients, Malaysians and Singaporeans in particular, as part of the government's goal to become a regional healthcare centre within three years.

The project will be submitted to cabinet for discussion by mid-September in a bid to start promoting hospitals, spas and medical alternatives in provinces frequented by tourists.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had earlier assigned Deputy Finance Minister Varathep Rattanakorn and Mrs Sudarat to outline a plan to promote state hospitals and spa centres in tourist provinces such as Phuket, Ranong and Surat Thani to compete with leading healthcare hubs like Singapore.

The Foreign Ministry will also assist in a campaign internationally to highlight the strengths of receiving care in Thailand, such as low prices, excellent service and various alternative treatments.

Mrs Sudarat said health authorities were checking the standards of the hospitals and spas before moving forward with the project.

Jessada Chungpaibulpatana, director of Vachira Phuket Hospital, said the hospital had the ability to conduct plastic surgery and sexual transplants for foreign patients.

--Asia1.com 2004-08-31

[ovenman]

Thai plan to emerge as a healthcare hub

BANBGKOK: -- The Thai government will proceed with plans to promote top state hospitals and spas in the south as a pilot project to become a regional healthcare centre, the Bangkok Post said yesterday.

For anybody following the "farang negativity" on the Olympics 2016 bid thread, right on cue here comes the perfect example of yet another government-sponsored scheme-of-the-day touting something that is destined to become a regional hub.

[sriracha john]

Thai plan to For anybody following the "farang negativity" on the Olympics 2016 bid thread, right on cue here comes the perfect example of yet another government-sponsored scheme-of-the-day touting something that is destined to become a regional hub.

The new chant of reasonable people everywhere: Snub The Hubs!

[Axel]

I am not a big believer in government plans around here. Although have my doubt on promoting state hospitals and spas which are not so well know overseas.

The private sector is a different story. Hospitals like, for example, Bumrungrad in BKK and Bangkok Hospital BKK do have a nice income from patients arriving from the Middle East. Patients who in the past visited the US but have now a days more dificulties on visa over there.

Let's face it, the MDs are well trained and the hospitals have modern equipment.

The fees are by far lower than e.g. USA or Europe.

[usatrader]

oops one liner...

A hub by any other name would be, for the Thai people, heads and tails above the brothel/drug hubs of yester and somewhat now adays one would think would one not?

That is all!

[Doi Thong]

And how about regional and international hub of stupidity, corruption, prostitution, human smuggling, narcotics and nepotism? And still we live here and enjoying every moment...:-)

[iChubbyGirl]

The private sector is a different story. Hospitals like, for example, Bumrungrad in BKK and Bangkok Hospital BKK do have a nice income from patients arriving from the Middle East. Patients who in the past visited the US but have now a days more dificulties on visa over there.

i'm really pround of with this...Happy to hear that.

pround to be one of them

[thedude]

The success of Bumrumgrad was due to a happy confluence of circumstances which the Thai (and for that matter the Malaysian and Singaporean) government had since tried to capitalise on by promoting a "hub" in the hope that a replication of the same would generate a meaningful effect on the economy (and in the process earn themselves a reputation for being progressive and forward thinking leaderships).

I think this medical hub idea is not fully baked, especially when the very customers you aim to attract are themselves living within so-called medical hubs in the making.

A battle of the hubs is afoot.

I think it would be better to capitalise on the early advantage gained by the private Bangkok hospitals by drawing up policies that would aid their expansion and further specialisation. Don't reinvent a good thing, help it grow and further differentiate itself. For example, it could allow these hospitals a tax break for the portion of income derived from international patients so long as the incentive is plowed back into say, research or expansion of facilities. It could provide for the expansion of these facilities in specially master-planned areas that are more accessible via new transport infrastructure, for example somewhere close to the new airport. It could subsidize the hosting of annual symposiums in related medical fields and at the same time showcase the local expertise. It could provide grants for advertising in target countries in the middle east. The list goes on...

[ovenman]

I think it would be better to capitalise on the early advantage gained by the private Bangkok hospitals by drawing up policies that would aid their expansion and further specialisation.  Don't reinvent a good thing, help it grow and further differentiate itself.

Good points. Although the ramp-up time would be longer, specialization is a better route to pursue in the long run. If one is merely offering what could be termed a commodity service, some other player will eventually come along with a lower cost and undercut you. This scenario has played out many a time in the manufacturing sector. There's no reason to assume that it couldn't also become commonplace in the medical services sector.

[usatrader]

My compliments to the commentators in this thread, I personally find the dialogue refreshingly informative and enlighting.

That is all!

[usatrader]

oops! missed one maybe.

Doi Thong,

Is that an affirmative or negative commentary on the subject?

Your description is of or about what country, as the possibilities could be, directly or in complicity, if true, about many I would think?

[Teach]

I guess if this latest hub is to work they will have to invent a new visa qualification. After all they don't want the 30 day repeaters, and all other visa's take too long and are impractical if you're having major surgery requiring an expensive, lucrative room.

Maybe they will have to introduce 60 day automatic entry visa's to capture this market. That will help the 30 day runners saving them 50% annually.

Nice one

Teach

[DaiMai]

It is a great idea and business opportunity, but why is this just in the South

and not the whole of Thailand?

Tightening up hospital standards might be a good idea first.

I would never check into a state hospital from choice.

My doctor, who was trained in the US, remarked that hospital accreditation is never an issue over there.

If you are not accredited you simply are NOT OPEN.

[ka12345]

Related news:

"Norwegian govt to link with Thai hospitals"

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/page.news....ess=1&id=120081

Coincidentally I tipped off Bumrungrad about exactly this in 2001 but they didn't bother to follow up on it...

[Darknight]

i think toxin is a hub on his own...

a hubba hubba idiot.

[NedKelly]

Healthcare hub........yeah for GOLDEN SHOWERS........ see below

Here is a piece from 'The Australian' website ! Makes one wonder about Thai academics !!

Thai academic touts urine cure

From AFP

03sep04

BANGKOK: Drinking urine can eliminate sinus trouble, turn grey hair black and even cure cancer, a Thai academic said Thursday, citing a study of local Buddhists who engage in the unorthodox practice.

Ratree Cheepudomwit, of the Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine Development Department, said hundreds of urine drinkers attested that consuming a daily cup worked wonders for their overall health and helped slow the ageing process.

She said that in June she queried 250 members of Santi Asoke, a strict indigenous Buddhist movement believed to have thousands of followers, and 204 respondents said they had learned from ancient Buddhist manucripts that drinking one's urine improved health.

"Of the respondents, 87 per cent confirmed that it had head-to-toe benefits for them, including for example reduction of dandruff, grey hair, sinus problems and cancer," Ratree told AFP.

The medical elixir was not easy on everyone's system, as about one in 10 urine drinkers suffered diarrhea afterwards, but the practice should not be viewed with disgust, she said.

"Other groups of people who drank urine were Buddhist monks who practised in accordance to scriptures which are more than 2,500 years old," she said.

AFP