"Plans to position Thailand as Asia's medical hub are being revived, starting with an effort to persuade foreigners that it is safe to visit the country as political tensions recede ", says Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanavisit.
Mr Jurin said his immediate priority was to listen to the concerns and proposals of people in health care and related businesses. As medical tourism is a key element, support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand will be required.
"In the short term, we will require some roadshows to restore the confidence in safety among foreign patients when they come here to get medical treatment," said Mr Jurin.
Concern about safety was heightened during the 10 weeks of anti-government protests that culminated in violence and arson in mid-May. At one point the red-shirt protesters invaded Chulalongkorn Hospital, claiming it was harbouring soldiers. Images of the chaotic scenes as the hospital attempted to evacuate hundreds of patients were seen worldwide.
Thailand over the past decade has developed a thriving medical tourism industry, capitalising on high-quality, well-equipped private hospitals and skilled practitioners offering quality care at far less cost than in developed countries.
While medical tourism is highly lucrative, Mr Jurin insists that the medical-hub plan is just part of an overall goal to improve health services for all Thai people as well. He wants to upgrade the quality of treatment at health centres in rural areas with limited capacities to be on par with general hospital standards within the next year.
There are a total of 10,000 rural medical units nationwide but a shortage of skilled personnel is a constant problem. A a result, he said, medical service volunteers will be strongly supported.
"The upgrading of the rural medical centres will ensure that we give priority to Thai people," he said. "The support we will provide [to health care operators under the medical hub programme] should be offered on condition that [a focus on] international and regional health care should not affect the availability of services for Thai patients."
He said Thailand had demonstrated good potential, proven by the increasing number of foreign patients, and worldwide recognition of Thai health care and other services such as massage. Traditional Thai and alternative medicines are likely to attract more foreign visitors for seeking treatment in Thailand.
"...The medical hub plan has a target of 400 billion baht(12.350 Billions USD) in revenue from foreign patients by 2014, according to Nara Nakwattananukool, director-general of the Department of Health Service Support."
The five-year plan sets revenue targets in four areas: 282 billion baht from medical treatment, 78.2 billion from health-care services, 42.7 billion from herbs and health products, and 684 million baht from traditional and alternative medicines.
"....According to the department, 1.5 million foreign patients visited Thailand last year, compared with 630,000 in 2004..."
Maj Gen Dr Niwat Boonyuen, deputy director of Wattanosoth Hospital, said a lot of foreign patients had delayed their visits recently because of political unrest and the imposition of a state of emergency.
"The problem is that insurance companies do not cover [claims for incidents] under a state of emergency," said Maj Gen Dr Niwat.
Around 35% of the patients of Wattanosoth, a unit of the country's largest hospital chain, Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BGH), are foreigners, mostly from Southeast Asia and the Middle East. "Fortunately, people from these regions all understand our political situation quite well," he said.
While political chaos has affected some private hospitals, Thai Nakarin Hospital Plc reported marginal impact as it has secured foreign patients through long-term contracts with expatriates and insurance companies.
Prof Chaiporn Bhadrakom, executive consultant to Thai Nakarin, said it had contracts with around 200 multinational companies, most of them Asian, with representative offices in Thailand.
The hospital is now designing a new special zone for expats on a 16-rai site, where it will pool a range of services from basic health check-ups to complicated diseases.
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