Narintara Boonjongcharoen, Chief Executive Officer – BDMS Group 6, announced the new project yesterday (Oct 5).
“Medical technology has developed and a lot of people are living longer, but information from the office the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDB) in 2021 shows that cancer and tumors are the highest cause of death for Thai people over the past 23 years, and each year the rate continues to increase,” Dr Narintara said.
“It was found that both the male and female cancer patients in the southern region ‒ namely those living in the area of the Region 11 Health office, including Chumphon, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Surat Thani, Krabi, Phang Nga, Ranong and Phuket ‒ each ranked in the top three of their groups.
“All of these cancer patients require radiation therapy. However, radiotherapy service centres are mainly located on the east coast of the southern region. As a result, the senior management team of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Public Company Limited decided to establish a ‘Phuket Cancer Center’ to provide people in Phuket and in the Andaman area with quick access to effective treatment. It also helps support the Medical and Wellness Destination strategy of Phuket Province as a health tourism destination,” Dr Narintara said.
Located at Bangkok Hospital Siriroj, on the bypass road, the centre will cover an area of 1,030 square metres, Dr Narintara explained.
“The centre will be designed under the concept of a healing environment (Healing Environment) to make service recipients feel relaxed,” he noted.
The centre will comprise a consultation room where specialised radiation oncologists can plan treatments using a computed tomography simulator (CT simulator) and provide colour therapy services using a linear accelerator (LINAC) as well as short-term high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy.
The centre will also include an online meeting room through which doctors can coordinate treatment plans in collaboration with the Bangkok Wattanosoth Cancer Hospital, in Bangkok, through teleconferences.
“Construction will be completed and the centre will be ready to open for service in the third quarter of 2024,” Dr Narintara said.
“Cancer is an illness that must be treated quickly to control the duration and spread of the disease, but the referral process according to the network system and the density of patient volumes differs in each hospital area, which creates an obstacle to quick access to treatment.
“The Phuket Cancer Center has a policy to care for all patients, and support all treatment rights, including those entitled to treatment under the National Health Insurance (Gold Card), government official health coverage and social security health coverage.
“The centre is also part of the ‘Cancer Everywhere’ project of the National Health Security Office (NHSO) to help provide care for cancer patients across the country, but especially for people in the Andaman area, so they are able to receive treatment at the Phuket Cancer Center quickly and efficiently” Dr Narintara said.
“There is no need to travel far from home for treatment anymore. For Thai citizens who are not protected under the above treatment rights can be reassured. This is because the service fees of the Phuket Cancer Center will be at the same or similar rates as government hospitals,” Dr Narintara noted.
Prof Dr Thiravud Khuhaprema, Director of the Wattanosoth Cancer Hospital in Bangkok, yesterday highlighted that the Phuket Cancer Center will benefit from direct access to the experience of the specialists at his hospital in the capital.
“The Wattanosoth Cancer Hospital is providing support in terms of relaying its experience in providing treatments to the radiation oncology team, as well as radiotherapy nurses and radiologic technologists, as we as co-designing the building and the service processes that take into account the patient experience, and selecting tools and technology that are safe and environmentally friendly,” he explained.
“Wattanosoth Cancer Hospital is very confident that the Phuket Cancer Center will empower people in Phuket and nearby areas to receive treatment in a timely manner. This will help make the treatment more effective, and give patients a better quality of life,” Dr Thiravud said.