Based in Patong, Phuket’s principal tourist resort, Bangkok Hospital Phuket is the largest hospital on the island, providing emergency assistance and medical services to local residents, expats and tourists.
Nicha Chiwangkul, assistant manager of Business Development, said that since its establishment in 1995, the hospital has made great strides in the development of its range of medical services. The hospital has improved the quality of its medical personnel and by implementing increasingly advanced technology and infrastructure. The hospital has also managed to minimize the waiting time for both outpatients and inpatients, according to Nicha.
The hospital’s efforts at providing high quality medical services and outstanding levels of Thai hospitality have received formal recognition in the form of the Hospital Quality Improvement Accreditation (HA), awarded by the Joint Commission International Accreditation and a Thailand Tourism Award, awarded by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
Burgeoning Sector
Nicha pointed out that medical tourism is becoming one of Asia’s fastest growing industries. In 2010, the hospital provided medical treatment for 62,000 foreign patients (33,800 expats and 28,200 tourists). Of this number, 8,100 of admissions were British, 6,500 Australian and 4,200 German nationals, according to Nicha, who points out that the hospital is sufficiently well placed to cope with increasing demand as it employs 165 doctors (Thais and foreign nationals), 250 registered nurses, 86 staff in other clinical positions and 500 service staff.
Multilingual Support
Foreign patients can easily communicate with the doctors at Bangkok Hospital Phuket, as the hospital has its own International Coordination Services team, which includes members of staff fluent in English, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Russian and Swedish, among other languages.
The hospital has 17 medical centers and clinics, providing a range of medical, surgical, diagnostic services and preventative programs. Among these facilities are the Esthetic Center, the Bone and Joint Center, the Dental Center, the Dialysis Center, the Heart Center, the Rehabilitation Center, the Skin Center, the Wellness Center and the Women’s and Children’s center. Most foreign patients visit the hospital for elective treatments, such as dental treatment, cosmetic or reconstructive surgery, eyesight corrective procedures, hip and knee replacement, or heart surgery, along with alternative forms of medical treatment, according to Nicha.
Since Bangkok Hospital has the largest hospital network in Southeast Asia, comprising 20 centers in Thailand and Cambodia, doctors are able to discuss issues regarding a patient’s condition among colleagues (while retaining patient confidentiality) in order to establish the most suitable course of treatment.
Convalesce in Comfort
Bangkok Hospital Phuket also puts a good deal of effort into ensuring that patients can enjoy a high level of comfort and privacy during their stay. For example, the Esthetic Center has a small pantry in the waiting room, while support is available for patients’ spiritual needs through the provision of a small chapel, a Buddhist prayer room and an Islamic prayer room.
Like a luxury hotel, the hospital offers several accommodation options, ranging from a standard room through to a Presidential Suite. All rooms include a 32-inch LCD television, a bathroom with a water heater, a small pantry with a microwave, crockery and utensils, as well as a complimentary admission set and a complimentary Thai massage.
Since the hospital has partnerships with airlines, hotels, spas, tour operators and travel agents, it can easily organize transportation from the hospital to and from hotels on the island, as well as to and from the airport and other destinations on the island on request.
Tags: german nationals, hospital phuket, joint commission international accreditation, patong phuket, tourism authority of thailand