Rural Thai doctors sceptical about medical hub plan

[webfact]

HEALTH
Rural doctors sceptical about medical hub plan
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- The Rural Doctor Foundation expressed scepticism yesterday over a Bt100-billion scheme proposed by the Public Health Ministry, questioning its worthiness and why nearly half is earmarked for a hub in Bangkok that would mainly serve foreigners - not Thais.

Community hospitals were barely aware of the scheme despite an earlier service plan projection, Foundation head Dr Kriengsak Vacharanukulkieti said. The decision to proceed with the scheme was made mainly by top ministry officials and heads of provincial health offices.

Dr Kriengsak said the Bt100-billion project may be a move to "silence" doctors, who were against the government-backed amnesty bill. He said it was not certain if Bt46 billion set aside for a medical hub was for government or private hospitals. He said rectors of all medical schools were called to an urgent meeting and the ministry announced the scheme a few days later.

The ministry announced the scheme yesterday, saying Bt33 billion would be used to modernise infrastructure at all hospitals, Bt21 billion spent on service planning, and Bt46 billion on the medical hub. The scheme may need another Bt100 billion during its 10-year timeframe, which starts next year.


-- The Nation 2013-11-15

[Thainy Tim]

This is definitely a waste of money and is just being set up because they know that the medical tourism hub is fast shifting to India.

Reasons are that almost everyone speaks great English, has a top drawer infrastructure already being built.

India also has great food, great beaches cheap and good quality hotels and friendly people.

Thaland's annual growth rate in medical tourism is 16% while India is 30%

By 2015 India will be treating more medical tourists than Thailand. It has grown from 150,000 patients in 2005 to an estimated 3.2 million in 2015.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_tourism_in_India

Edited November 14, 2013 by Thainy Tim

[Thai at Heart]

3bn USD to upgrade hospitals?

Wow. Well if I was brumrungrad I would be most jealous. But yes,, why spend this on tourism?

[Lupatria]

The ministry announced the scheme yesterday, saying Bt33 billion would be used to modernise infrastructure at all hospitals, Bt21 billion spent on service planning, and Bt46 billion on the medical hub.

Don’t we miss a tiny little detail in this kind of summery? It would only be a realistic accounting with the figures of money flowing in some huge pockets, as this is the common procedure here

[Lancelot]

This is definitely a waste of money and is just being set up because they know that the medical tourism hub is fast shifting to India.

Reasons are that almost everyone speaks great English, has a top drawer infrastructure already being built.

India also has great food, great beaches cheap and good quality hotels and friendly people.

Thaland's annual growth rate in medical tourism is 16% while India is 30%

By 2015 India will be treating more medical tourists than Thailand. It has grown from 150,000 patients in 2005 to an estimated 3.2 million in 2015.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_tourism_in_India

Good post. Prices are creeping upwards in Thailand and I would definitely consider India as an alternative for medical care. Many of the doctors in the US are from India now

[hhiser]

3bn USD to upgrade hospitals?

Wow. Well if I was brumrungrad I would be most jealous. But yes,, why spend this on tourism?

They're financing it from the ฿500 they will charge the incoming tourists.

[SantiSuk]

So, in summary this guy doesn't really know what the plan is, but he's dead sure that the Government is out to get revenge on doctors.

I'm not paranoid ... and who said that, I'll kill 'em?!

[Gonsalviz]

This is definitely a waste of money and is just being set up because they know that the medical tourism hub is fast shifting to India.

Reasons are that almost everyone speaks great English, has a top drawer infrastructure already being built.

India also has great food, great beaches cheap and good quality hotels and friendly people.

Thaland's annual growth rate in medical tourism is 16% while India is 30%

By 2015 India will be treating more medical tourists than Thailand. It has grown from 150,000 patients in 2005 to an estimated 3.2 million in 2015.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_tourism_in_India

India would have to pay me to go there. Not for the medical but because of everything else.

[Thainy Tim]

This is definitely a waste of money and is just being set up because they know that the medical tourism hub is fast shifting to India.

Reasons are that almost everyone speaks great English, has a top drawer infrastructure already being built.

India also has great food, great beaches cheap and good quality hotels and friendly people.

Thaland's annual growth rate in medical tourism is 16% while India is 30%

By 2015 India will be treating more medical tourists than Thailand. It has grown from 150,000 patients in 2005 to an estimated 3.2 million in 2015.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_tourism_in_India

India would have to pay me to go there. Not for the medical but because of everything else.

You need to open your eyes. India is a great place.

I don't know what you mean about 'everything else'.

Is everything in Thailand perfect?

People are traveling for treatment to save money as a first priority and seeing as it is getting more expensive here and yet India is probably less than half the price as Thailand for some treatments. Quicker to get to from Europe, cheaper everything.

Just because you don't like India, doesn't mean it is the same for others... Have you even been? Most Indian doctors are trained in the west, a lot more than Thai doctors.

In 2 years it will be treating more people than Thailand, and in 10 years will probably be treating 3 times more than Thailand.

Edited November 15, 2013 by Thainy Tim

[fatfather]

You need to open your eyes. India is a great place.....

If you have ever been there and opened your eyes, you would never ever say that India is a great place. India is a no go, maybe with good doctors which you need whilst staying there

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

[Thainy Tim]

You need to open your eyes. India is a great place.....

If you have ever been there and opened your eyes, you would never ever say that India is a great place. India is a no go, maybe with good doctors which you need whilst staying there

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

I have been 4 times. I don't know what the hell you are on about.

India is a great place.

India has it faults like any place in the world. Thailand has heaps of faults, just spend a bit of time on TVF and you will be shown them.

I am a hardy traveler and I can probably take a bit more than you. I don't insist on a clinically perfect travel experience and you sure won't get one here in Thailand. either.

Stop picking on India, because you either haven't been or just went to the wrong parts.

Here is India if you went out of your way a bit to get the best of the place.

You need to get out of the ghettos.

[fatfather]

You need to open your eyes. India is a great place.....

If you have ever been there and opened your eyes, you would never ever say that India is a great place. India is a no go, maybe with good doctors which you need whilst staying there

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

 

I have been 4 times. I don't know what the hell you are on about.

 

India is a great place.

 

India has it faults like any place in the world. Thailand has heaps of faults, just spend a bit of time on TVF and you will be shown them.

 

I am a hardy traveler and I can probably take a bit more than you. I don't insist on a clinically perfect travel experience and you sure won't get one here in Thailand. either.

 

Stop picking on India, because you either haven't been or just went to the wrong parts.

 

Here is India if you went out of your way a bit to get the best of the place.

 

 

You need to get out of the ghettos.

Capra Hotel. I'm travelling since 30 years, unfortunately to India as well, seems you don't travel too much. Let it be, different opinions, different experience.

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

[Thainy Tim]

You need to open your eyes. India is a great place.....

If you have ever been there and opened your eyes, you would never ever say that India is a great place. India is a no go, maybe with good doctors which you need whilst staying there

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

I have been 4 times. I don't know what the hell you are on about.

India is a great place.

India has it faults like any place in the world. Thailand has heaps of faults, just spend a bit of time on TVF and you will be shown them.

I am a hardy traveler and I can probably take a bit more than you. I don't insist on a clinically perfect travel experience and you sure won't get one here in Thailand. either.

Stop picking on India, because you either haven't been or just went to the wrong parts.

Here is India if you went out of your way a bit to get the best of the place.

You need to get out of the ghettos.

Capra Hotel. I'm travelling since 30 years, unfortunately to India as well, seems you don't travel too much. Let it be, different opinions, different experience.

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

Nice picture, that could also be in any one of about 3 million pictures of Thailand.

My traveling? 36 countries and counting.

Edited November 15, 2013 by Thainy Tim