Phuket Ruampaet Hospital To Close

[george]

Phuket Gazette:

Ruampaet hospital to close

PHUKET CITY: -- After being open for 26 years, Phuket’s first private hospital, Phuket Ruampaet Medical Center on Phuket Rd, will close on November 30.

Dr Mitr Theva-Aksorn, the hospital’s Director, told the Gazette, “We don’t have the money to continue the lease on the building, so we have to stop operating.”

The hospital opened on November 22, 1979, with 36 inpatient beds. It now has 10.

Dr Mitr said that the closure is the result of high competition between the private hospitals in Phuket and the effect of the government’s 30-baht medical treatment scheme.

“We don’t want to continue to rent the building, and we cannot move to a new building because the requirements under the Hospital Operation Act 1997 are too strict, and it is very expensive to build a new hospital,” Dr Mitr said.

He explained that it has been difficu lt to attract investors to bail the hospital out of its financial crisis because of the hospital’s core objective – to provide better hospital care than government hospitals but not at over-inflated prices.

“We have our own vision that we don’t want to make big profits; we want our patients to recover and be satisfied with our service,” he said.

Dr Mitr added that he has been impressed by the response of the other medical facilities on the island in finding new jobs for the three doctors and 36 other staff whose positions will become redundant.

“I’m so impressed with the assistance from many hospitals in Phuket. They understand us and are willing to help any way they can,” he said.

--Phuket Gazette 2005-10-15

[RDN]

I went to see Dr. Mitr on Thursday for my regular monthly check-up and he told me the news then. It is very sad indeed. He told me some of his patients cried when they heard the news and I can understand why. He's been my doctor for about 18 months and I consider him a friend as well as my doctor. He has managed to get my blood pressure down from 175/120 to 110/70! And my cholesterol level is now barely above the minimum.

The crazy thing is, the building will lie empty, repossessed by the bank and with no other occupier. This building is near the traffic lights on Phuket Road, close to Robinsons, so must be worth a fortune.

He hopes to open a small clinic when the Ruampaet closes, and I will continue to see him there. My last appointment is just before the closing day, so I hope to find out where he is going. I'll post what I find out then.