Telemedicine lays the pathway to equality in medicine, Bangkok forum hears
The application of telehealth services in Thailand was the key topic of discussion at the Than x Forum 2023 held last week in Bangkok.
Telehealth or telemedicine is identified as the use of technology to provide healthcare from a distance without requiring in-person visits.
The objective of the forum was to let the world know of Thailand’s ambition to become a medical hub. The first step, however, will be turning Bangkok into a healthy city, so its people can also become healthier.
“Good health and good capital always come hand in hand. If we want to become a medical hub, our people must first be healthy,” Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said.
Bangkok has the highest number of elderly people in the country and many chronic diseases come with age, the governor added.
Obesity in the capital is also 17% higher than elsewhere in the country, while some 7,500 Bangkokians were diagnosed with clinical depression last year, he said.
“Thai people’s health span is shorter than their life span, so we need to change the graph, so they live long healthy lives,” said Assoc Prof Dr Chanchai Sittiphan, dean of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine.
Good health starts with taking care of the planet. Garbage, dust, epidemics, junk food, stress, chronic disease and age are all factors affecting good health that must be taken care of, Chanchai said.
To achieve this, he said, the concepts of sustainability, equality and efficiency must be applied to ensure good health.
“Health technology will help reduce medical waste and errors while boosting accuracy in treatment and surgery,” said Somthawin Patanavanich, co-founder and adviser of MedPark Hospital.
“We need to use technology and artificial intelligence [AI] to ensure people everywhere have access to good health,” said Thitipong Nandhabiwat, CEO of TeleHealth Care Co Ltd and CEO of Thonburi Bamrungmuang Hospital.
Agreeing with Chanchai, Thitipong said it is time for Thailand to start providing equal healthcare to all its people.
Meanwhile, senior vice president of Advanced Info Services (AIS), Wasit Wattanasap, said people were leaning more towards telemedicine.
“At least 60% of patients believe virtual care is more convenient than in-person care,” he said.
Wasit was among the speakers who agreed that
the future of medicine in Thailand lay with technology. They also spoke about how it can be used to provide medical services to remote communities.
“Health and medical well-being are topics few people want to discuss, hence it is tough to bring all sides together so they can see it from the same angle,” Thansettakij managing editor Bakban Boonlert said.
Thansettakij was one of the sponsors of the forum that was held last Friday at Centara Grand Hotel in downtown Bangkok.
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