Thai private healthcare provider Thonburi Hospital has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chunghwa Telecom Co., a Taiwan-based telecommunications company, for their continued collaboration in the hospital's digital transformation.

Thonburi is a tertiary care provider with a network of 18 private hospitals in Thailand.

According to a press statement, their latest agreement is for their continued partnership on using Chunghwa's smart ward point-of-care solutions.

Powered by Taiwanese medical AI firm imedtac and medical device company MD Healthcare from Thailand, Chunghwa is able to deliver smart ward solutions to Thonburi Hospital, including a smart nursing station, an all-in-one vital sign kiosk, an automated dispensing cabinet, an e-paper bedside information display and a ToF fall management system.

WHY IT MATTERS

As healthcare players in Southeast Asia are now dealing with post-COVID-19 challenges, they now also require an infrastructure that will enable them to deliver services in a constantly changing environment, said Hsueh-Lan Wu, chairman of Chunghwa Telecom Thailand.

So far, the smart hospital applications provided by Chunghwa have reduced the workload burden for the staff of Thonburi Hospital, enhanced the quality of medical services, and raised its operational performance. 

Thonburi Hospital CEO Dr Siripong Luengvarinkul said they believed that "better information collection, organisation, and distribution are vital to precision medicine, which ultimately enables doctors and paramedics to deliver better healthcare inside and beyond hospital grounds".

THE LARGER TREND

The Thai health system continues its digital transformation through tech integrations and ICT adoptions. Late last year saw the Siriraj Hospital of Mahidol University launch what could be the largest 5G smart hospital in Southeast Asia. The hospital was built with the support of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission and Huawei Thailand.

Huawei is also collaborating with Thailand's Department of Medical Services to roll out 5G technologies to two public hospitals, the National Cancer Institute and Rajavithi Hospital. 

ON THE RECORD

"We value the simplicity, friendliness, and comprehensive connectivity in our information technologies over complicated and novel systems that distract from the healthcare we bring to our patients," Thonburi's Dr Siripong further emphasised.