Bumrangrad International Hospital

On Tuesday November 6th, we visited the Bumrangrad International Hospital. Appearing to look more like a high-end hotel  rather than a medical institution, this hospital was vastly different than all of the previous ones we have been to in Thailand. Holding true to its name, this private hospital is known for serving international patients as well as a large number of Thai residents who desire high quality medical care and access to some of the best practitioners in the country.

The numbers on this hospital were quite impressive. We learned that they have taken care of patients from over 176 countries, employ over 4,300 medical staff (1,300 of them being physicians and 85 being pharmacists), and has been quoted being the #1 intentional hospital in the world as well as being amongst the top 5 overall medical destinations considering India, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, and Thailand.

With many of their physicians also being the top professors in nearby medical schools, this hospital is deeply invested in research and innovative technology. For example, robots are highly utilized in this institution as well as precision medicine (therapy dictated by genetic data) and devices such as wearable vests that can accurately diagnose cardiac arrthymuas. This hospital was also the first in the world to partner with IBM Watson to use artificial intelligence in oncology when choosing optimal regimens for patients based off of genetic information. 


In the world of pharmacy,  Bumrangrad uses intricate prescription processing robots (being the first hospital in Asia to hold these systems), computerized prescription order entry, fully electronic medical records (a system that is not largely adopted yet in Thailand), pneumatic tubes throughout the hospital to delivery medications, and bedside barcode administration to improve patient safety.

For the quality of care that this hospital delivers, what I found very interesting was the price tag that it carries. Being a top private hospital, care is not covered under the Thailand government as public hospitals are, however the cost of treatment compared to the United States was still significantly less than what Americans have to pay to receive average care. Comparing medical care in Thailand and having personal experience with costly care in the United States has made me think a lot about needed healthcare and insurance reform in the U.S.

I have also noticed a lot of hospitals in Thailand say that their systems are modelled after the modern health system of the United States, but I've realizd that even though they are learning a lot from our own advances, we could learn so much from Thailand.

~Natalie Underdown