Global Health Asia-Pacific Issue 3 | 2023 Issue 3 | 2023 | Page 34

The project is part of a strategy to expand to other provinces in Thailand

Based in Bangkok , Bumrungrad International Hospital is a worldrenowned healthcare provider offering high-quality care in all the key medical specialities for both local and overseas patients . It treats over 1.1 million people every year , with more than 520,000 being international patients from all around the world .

The new expansion project aims to bring the same quality of care and advanced medical technology to other provinces in Thailand . The facility will be located near Phuket ’ s Blue Canyon Country Club , or about three kilometers from Phuket International Airport .

�We find the Phuket market compelling for several reason . First , the island of Phuket has a population of over 450,000 residents . This is important because , like with Bumrungrad in Bangkok , our first and foremost focus is on local Thai and Expat patients . Second , Phuket received approximately 5.4 million visitors pre-pandemic , with the top six countries of visitor origin being� China , Russia , Germany , Australia , UK , and France , and currently tourism in Phuket is once again robust - having rebounded very well since Thailand ’ s post-pandemic reopening in mid-2022 . Finally , it is important to note almost half the world ’ s population is within a six-hour flight of Phuket , � David Thomas Boucher , Bumrungrad ’ s Chief Partnerships O�cer and project lead , said in a press release .

The building of the new facility will start as soon as the permits are granted . Its services will include family and internal medicine , cardiology , orthopaedics , and cosmetic surgery as well as gender a�rming care , urology , and wellness care .

Authorities are making it easier to apply for a visa but language barriers are hampering growth

outh Korea is making it easier for international patients to check in at the country ’ s medical facilities in order to attract a greater number of foreigners seeking medical care , with a target of 700,000 foreign patients a year starting from 2027 , The Korea Herald reports .

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said that the number of medical tourists increased by 70.1 percent in 2022 , with about 248,000 people visiting Korea as the COVID-19 pandemic was brought under control .

Foreign patients who check in at �excellent medical institutions� selected by the government can apply for visas online instead of going to a Korean diplomatic mission abroad , with authorities planning to increase the number of such institutions from 27 to more than 50 .

Similarly , the government will expand the pool of caregivers who can visit the country with medical tourists . Siblings will be able to accompany patients while previously only immediate family members like spouses were allowed to act as caregivers . In addition , caregivers won ’ t have to submit documents to demonstrate they have adequate funds while applying for visas .

But better translation services are needed to boost medical tourism to the country . �To attract more foreign patients , Korea needs to support various languages at hospitals and clinics and establish a system for foreign patients to make appointments with doctors through their websites , � an o�cial from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute told The Korea Herald .

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