{"id":1270,"date":"2019-09-13T10:59:51","date_gmt":"2019-09-13T03:59:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/?p=1270"},"modified":"2019-09-13T17:16:18","modified_gmt":"2019-09-13T10:16:18","slug":"strides-and-setbacks-to-thailand-healthcare-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/strides-and-setbacks-to-thailand-healthcare-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Recent strides and setbacks to Thailand\u2019s healthcare system that expats need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thailand\u2019s healthcare system has come a long way since the start of the decade. From successfully promoting medical tourism to the cutting-edge digitization of medical services, the Kingdom of Smiles is becoming internationally recognized for the medical services it provides.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, the Kingdom\u2019s healthcare system <\/span>ranked 6th<\/span><\/a> in CEOWORLD magazine\u2019s 2019 global Health Care Index, besting developed economies such as France, Belgium, and Australia.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the country\u2019s healthcare system has also faced recent setbacks from the <\/span>aging population\u2019s<\/span><\/a> financial strains on the public healthcare system to <\/span>dual pricing for foreigners<\/span><\/a> at public hospitals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this article by <\/span>Pacific Prime Thailand<\/span><\/a>, we will explore the recent strides and setbacks to Thailand\u2019s healthcare system, and what that means for expats living in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Strides<\/span><\/h2>\n

Thailand\u2019s healthcare system has been at the forefront of medical innovation in the past decade. For instance, it has championed the digitization of its services and promoted the adoption of new medical solutions still not accepted by its Asian peers, such as <\/span>marijuana treatments<\/span><\/a>. The following are three key notable achievements of the country\u2019s healthcare system in recent years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Boosting medical tourism<\/span><\/h3>\n

As you may already know, the list of reasons to visit Thailand includes sunbathing on the beaches of Krabi and Huahin, partying in Bangkok, and hiking in Chiang Mai. But unbeknownst to many, getting top-quality treatments from state-of-the-art technology now joins this list as Thailand\u2019s <\/span>medical tourism industry<\/span><\/a> continues to boom in 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last year, Thailand\u2019s <\/span>medical tourism industry<\/span><\/a> generated <\/span>total revenue<\/span><\/a> of THB \u0e3f140 billion from 3.42 million foreign visitors to Thai private hospitals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, these private hospitals have been gearing their services to foreign visitors. For instance, <\/span>Samitivej hospital\u2019s Sukhumvit branch<\/span><\/a> has gained popularity with Japanese patients by providing information in Japanese throughout all of its facilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Bumrungrad hospital can provide its medical services in <\/span>28 languages<\/span><\/a>, truly catering to patients from all over the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Digital transformation of medical services<\/span><\/h3>\n

To further improve their services to international patients, Thai hospitals have been pushing to digitize their medical services to increase the efficiency of their operations, reduce queues, and improve the quality of their services.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Surprisingly, this push comes from both public and private hospitals in the country. For example, the state-run Chonburi Hospital has recently launched its own mobile application which allows patients to <\/span>check their medical benefits<\/span><\/a>, access their personal health records, and make check-up payments online.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to private hospitals, top healthcare providers in the country are racing to develop their own \u201cvirtual hospital\u201d. Samitivej hospital takes the lead, recently launching a mobile application that offers <\/span>24-hour medical consultation<\/span><\/a> with doctors through video calls. The application is also able to deliver medicine to the patient\u2019s home while guaranteeing absolute data security.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mandatory drug price disclosure<\/span><\/h3>\n

Transparency in drug prices is essential for offering patients fair medical treatments. For decades, private hospitals were not required to display their drug prices to customers beforehand, leading to the local perception that drug prices in private hospitals are excessively expensive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, starting from mid-2019, private hospitals are now legally required to <\/span>display the price of some 3,000 drugs<\/span><\/a>, as well as fees for medical supplies, to allow patients to make better-informed decisions before getting medical treatments.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mandatory price disclosure benefits both expats and locals, allowing them to choose the hospital that best fits their budget, and hence, marking a significant step towards full transparency in providing medical services in Thailand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Setbacks\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Thailand\u2019s healthcare system scored well in the Health Care Index\u2019s categories such as healthcare infrastructure (92\/100) and cost (96\/100). However, it struggled to perform well in categories such as medicine availability (67\/100) and professionals\u2019 competence (17\/100).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The following are two recent setbacks to the system that may have negatively affected Thailand\u2019s global healthcare ranking.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dual pricing for foreigners at public hospitals<\/span><\/h3>\n

Thailand has recently implemented a dual pricing scheme at public hospitals, making it more expensive for foreigners to get medical treatment than locals. The dual pricing scheme comes in three tiers:<\/span><\/p>\n