Medical tourism poses threat to public healthcare system

The centre is now trying to address the challenge by taking it up with all concerned agencies.

Dr Pornchai Matangkhasombat, a professor emeritius and president of TCELS' board of directors, said a new challenge for TCELS was

how to keep a balance between promoting the country as a medical hub that would generate huge income for the country while retaining a universal public healthcare system.

"We can't go further than this. We have 2 million foreign patients already and it is affecting the country's healthcare. Private hospitals have sucked human health resources from public hospitals. Even medical schools have lost their top experts," he said.

Pornchai said TCELS will have a discussion with all agencies to look for a way out together.

"Thailand as a medical hub needs to be promoted, but the programme must be implemented with a balance, he said. "We cannot allow it to damage the country's healthcare system."

He suggested that a possible way out is to control the number of

foreign patients who come to receive medical care in the country.

One way of doing that could be to increase the treatment costs for foreign patients.

One reason foreigners come for medical care is to take advantage of the lower cost of the treatment available here, he said.

Chief executive of TCELS' board of directors Dr Thongchai Thavichachart encouraged small private hospitals to improve their facilities to prepare to serve more foreign patients.

Thongchai said TCELS was going to hold a special lecture for private hospitals. The speaker will be an expert in developing big private hospitals to meet international standards, a measure that will attract foreign patients.

"The lecture will provide a chance to small private hospitals to seek advice from experts to get involved in the medical hub project," he said.

Thongchai said since the medical hub project was promoted in 2003, the number of foreign patients increased by more than 50 per cent. He expected the numbers to get even bigger.

One effect the medical hub project had on the country's healthcare system turned into a big concern for the Public Health Ministry - many top medical specialists have jumped to the private sector since the project was launched in 2003 by the Thaksin Shinawatra government.

The medical hub project includes three facets that aim to boost medical services, such as sickness prevention, spa services and Thai massage. It also promotes Thai herbal medicinal products.