Global Health Asia-Pacific July 2020 July 2020 | Page 43
Thai hospital adjusts
to the pandemic
The country’s most iconic medical tourism hospital tries
to navigate uncertain times
Medical tourism zone in
China gets a boost
Preferential policies should help providers attract international
patients
Ten hospitals have opened their doors to patients in the Boao
Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone on the
southern Chinese island of Hainan, with another five facilities
slated to start operations in the second half of 2020.
Located at the Hainan Free Trade Port, the special zone
allows for quick access to international innovative drugs
and medical devices not yet approved by China’s national
regulators. Currently, it takes three to five years for foreign drugs
and devices to reach the Chinese market, according to China
Daily.
Healthcare providers can also en�oy other preferential
policies that make it easier to lure international patients to its
shores.
“As for the imported equipment, if we have to pay high taxes,
the expenses will be transferred to our customers. The pilot
zone lowers taxation, so our services can be cheaper than our
counterparts internationally,� �iu Weifu, executive officer of
Yiling Hospital Management Group, told CGTN.
Though the special area aims to become a world-class
destination for medical tourists by 2030, providers also hope to
lure Chinese patients.
�ince prices are still unaffordable for the general public,
Yiling Hospital Management Group told CGTN it’s attempting
to get its services covered under the government health and
medical insurance programmes.
Thailand’s flagship medical tourism facility,
Bumrungrad Hospital, has seen a dramatic drop in
its business due to the slump in tourism as a result of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Covid-19 crisis is a very tough test for all
businesses,� the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer
Artirat Charukitpipat told Bloomberg. “More than 50
percent of our patients used to come from overseas.
They’ve now disappeared. The most important
question is how we will get over this crisis. At
Bumrungrad, agility runs in our blood. We have great
staff, and they are ready to ad�ust.�
International patients contributed 66 percent of
hospital revenues in 2019, according to its website.
The top revenue contributors were Myanmar, United
Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.
With one of its key sources of revenue gone,
the hospital has strengthened its telemedicine
services while it also conducts at-home blood tests,
vaccinations, and drug deliveries, Artirat said. The
hospital has also been offering residence programmes
for people under quarantine.
To ease patient concerns about the safety of
checking in at the hospital, Bumrungrad has recently
introduced new disinfecting robots that kill viruses,
bacteria, and mould in about five minutes by using
ultraviolet light. They’re also used in operating
theaters, intensive care units, and patient rooms.
GlobalHealthAndTravel.com
JULY 2020
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