Thailand has highest HA, JCI-standardised hospitals in AC

BANGKOK, July 12 (TNA) - The Ministry of Public Health reports that Thailand now has a total of 813 hospitals meeting the globally-recognised HA or JCI standards, the highest in the ASEAN Community (AC). Dr. Boonruang Trairuangworawat, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Health Service Support, told the update while chairing a meeting of 250 operators and personnel of public and private hospitals in Bangkok and 14 other Thai tourist destination provinces, held at his department on Tuesday morning. The participants came from Bangkok, Krabi, Khon Kaen, Chon Buri, Chiang Rai, Chaing Mai, Trat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nonthaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ayutthaya, Phuket, Rayong, Songkhla and Surat Thani. Dr. Boonruang said the meeting was aimed to promote the further development of Thailand's hospitals to meet the Hospital Accreditation (HA) standard and even the Advanced HA standard, as well as to comply with the 1998 Hospital Act in order to assure Thai and foreign patients alike of globally-recognised health safety standards. According to the senior official, Thailand has been increasingly popular among international visitors, with their arrivals in the country reaching 29 million in 2015, from 25 million in 2014, earning the Thai Kingdom over 1 trillion baht yearly, a number of whom have visited Thailand for the health tourism purpose. The senior official pointed out that health tourism has been increasingly popular, with its latest global growth rate of 20 per cent and regional growth rate of 28 per cent. The senior official acknowledged that his department has, thus, laid down a policy and target to develop all public and private hospitals located in Bangkok and the 14 mentioned provinces to meet either the HA standard or the Joint Commission International (JCI) standard, in which high-level quality and safety in treating patients are emphasised in order to meet high demand and confidence of international patients. Besides, the HA and JCI standards, if met by more Thai hospitals, will enhance the country's competitiveness potential in terms of investment and tourism. The senior official announced that his department has targeted to upgrade additional 228 Thai hospitals, out of 496 ones, in Bangkok and the 14 provinces, where there are about 70 per cent of international visitors, to meet either the HA standard or the JCI standard by this year, while the rest by 2018. (TNA)