The new facilities aim to reduce the number of patients referred to other hospitals for surgery and improve emergency care for residents and tourists across the south of the island.
In total, Chalong Hospital has so far secured only B17.1mn through combined contributions.
Although Chalong Hospital is the only government hospital serving the entire southern region of the island, the Ministry of Public Health so far has contributed only B4.7 mn.
The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) has provided B10mn in funding, Chalong Municipality has provided B2mn and public donations account for just B371,904.
Painstakingly obvious, the amount raised so far is still insufficient to fund even a single operating room.
Chalong Hospital Director Chuchart Nitchawatana has appealed to the press to promote the hospital’s donation campaign, in the hope that the public will pony up for the critically needed operating rooms, instead of the central government.
“As the fourth public hospital in Phuket, Chalong Hospital is seeking support to expand its surgical facilities,” Mr Chuchart said.
Mr Chuchart explained that Chalong Hospital was established on Dec 28, 2015, and is responsible for providing healthcare to more than 600,000 people, all in Chalong, Karon and Rawai subdistricts.
“The hospital has grown rapidly in less than five years from a 10-bed unit to a 48-bed facility, with plans to expand to 140 beds,” Mr Chuchart said.
“However, Chalong Hospital still lacks a surgical unit, resulting in over 1,000 patients per year being referred to Vachira Phuket Hospital or nearby private hospitals for operations,” he continued.
Mr Chuchart emphasised the new project aims to build three operating rooms to handle emergency and specialist surgeries, particularly in orthopedics, general surgery and obstetrics and gynecology.
The construction of operating rooms is hoped to begin by October to support the arrival of specialist doctors in these fields.
As with all donations made to the Vachira fundraising effort for its publicly funded cancer-treatment centre, any donations to the building of the new operating room at Chalong Hospital will be granted twice the value of the donation as a tax deduction within the tax year.
For more information about the Chalong Hospital fundraising drive, visit Chalong Hospital’s website or call 076-384342-3 (ext. 2702) or 088-2940994, available 24/7. People can also email donate.chalonghospital@gmail.com.
Donations can be made directly to:
Account Name: ‘Donations to improve the operating room at Chalong Hospital’
Account Number: 664-2-95110-7
Bank: Krungthai Bank, Chalong Branch