Country Focus
An era of digitalised and high-tech healthcare in Thailand Healthcare is a priority sector of Thailand, with 14% of its total budget allocated towards the industry, which accounts for 4.6% of Thailand’s GDP, considered to be the highest among ASEAN countries. Against this backdrop, Thailand is becoming a model for healthcare solutions with its technologydriven approach, says Angelica Buan in this report.
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n 11 May, Thailand became the first country in Asia to perform a robot-assisted brain surgery on a 77-year old brain tumour patient. According to medical personnel at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok, the robotic technology enabled them to complete the rather delicate procedure with less injury and risk of complications, and shorter downtime because incision is a lot smaller. The technology is costly, and quoted to cost around 40 million baht, while the procedure costs 100,000 baht more than regular brain surgery. Apart from Thailand, Vietnam also has the capability to perform such procedure using robotic technology, but it was Thailand that first clinched the claim to fame.
Thailand became the first country in Asia to perform a robot-assisted brain surgery on a brain tumour patient
Medical robots for rehabilitative care Medical robotics is just one facet of Thailand’s healthcare paradigm. In a latest undertaking, the Thailand Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS) and the Ministry of Science and Technology crafted an advanced medical robotics programme to upgrade the competitiveness of the country’s healthcare system and its global position as Asian leader in advanced medical technology. Medical technology is Thailand’s response to the widening access gap in healthcare across its demographics. Citing from the 2016 Technology Development Roadmap for Medical Robotics in Thailand, by building technological capabilities the country may be able to address challenges in healthcare accessibility among the Dr Natchanapong Vajiravongburi (centre) at the opening of the rural population and among patients MFT event, hosted by Gernot Ringling (3rd from right) of MDA debilitated with age-related illnesses. “Rehabilitative care and connected healthcare are fast growing sectors within the medical and healthcare industry,” according to Gernot Ringling, Managing Director of Messe Dusseldorf Asia (MDA), the organiser of Medical Fair Thailand, held in Bangkok this September. An ageing population and the growing connective technology adoption are growth drivers. Setting the pace for Thailand 4.0 Thailand’s advancement into a more connective and digitalised economy heralds shifts in areas like healthcare is part of the country’s ambitious plan – to model a “digital economy”. Following Europe’s Industrie 4.0, Thailand has come up with its own Thailand 4.0, a valuebased economic model driven by innovation, technology, and high-value trade and services. The implementation will be done in four phases, spanning 20 years. The piecemeal goal will integrate innovations such as digital and smart devices, robotics and mechatronics, connective and embedded technologies into services and across socio-economic activities. Thailand is prepped for digitalisation. It has the adequate information technology and communications (ICT) ecosystem, braced by international gateways through landlines, underwater cables and satellites. Data from the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (NECTEC) and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), indicate that ICT adoption is increasing.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017