The shortfall was highlighted during a high-level inspection visit by Minister of Public Health Somsak Thepsuthin, of the Pheu Thai Party, on Friday (July 18).
Despite securing B413mn through public donations, the hospital has signed a construction contract worth B421mn, said an official report of Mr Somsak’s visit.
The donations, although more than B120mn more than the original B290mn initially sought by officials, still leave a funding gap that continues to delay full development of the cancer treatment facility, the report noted.
Hospital director Dr Weerasak Lorthongkam repeated his explanation that Vachira Hospital treats around 1,600 new cancer patients each year from Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi.
About half of these patients require radiation therapy ‒ but without local capacity, they are referred to hospitals in Surat Thani, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Songkhla or Bangkok.
While the cost of treatment can be covered by national health funds, patients are left to shoulder travel, accommodation and food expenses themselves.
“For many families, the cost of getting to treatment is too high,” he said. “That means they give up ‒ not just on therapy, but on their chance to survive.”
“B8mn is all that stands between patients and the treatment they need,” said Dr Weerasak. “We’re so close ‒ but we need that final push.”
In response, Minister Somsak confirmed that the Public Health Ministry has allocated B152mn in budget support to purchase two key machines for the hospital: a B120mn ‘4D high-energy particle accelerator’ and a B32mn ‘simulation and planning system’.
However, the hospital cannot receive the equipment until its specialised radiation building is completed as the facility must meet strict structural and safety standards, the official report explained.
Regardless, Minister Somsak made no mention that the central government would provide the final B8mn needed to complete the building. His silence leaves private donations to fund the gap.
Premium Services, Innovation Pilots
Regardless, Minister Somsak “endorsed his support” for Vachira Phuket Hospital to become one of the ministry’s pilot hospitals for “Premium Services”, set to launch next month.
The services are to include outpatient clinics in internal medicine, ophthalmology, surgery, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, dermatology and cosmetic medicine ‒ all based in a “newly renovated space” separate from general patient areas.
The hospital also plans to roll out off-site care, allowing teams to provide medical services directly to patients in their homes, accommodation or hotels, the official report said.
In addition to clinical care, the hospital has been tapped to lead the country’s first pilot of the “Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) Sandbox”, in partnership with Mediz Group.
The first phase includes research into skin rejuvenation, degenerative disc treatment and palliative-stage cancer therapy. The goal is to expand this into a full-scale Innovation Medical and Health Wellness programme.
‘Global Health Tourism Hub’
During the minister’s visit, Vachira officials presented an ambitious B1.4bn plan to transform Phuket into a “global centre for health tourism”, the report announced.
The proposed project would be located on the 141 rai in Mai Khao that was previously touted to become home to Phuket’s ‘International Andaman Health Centre”. At last report the facility was to cost more than B5bn.
The facility is to include a Health and Wellness Centre, Rehabilitation Medicine Centre, Elderly Care Facility, Wellness Resort and Health Innovation Hub.
The project will be submitted for approval under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework.
Officials say it would not only raise the standard of healthcare in Phuket and Phang Nga but also serve as a model for generating income for government hospitals and boosting the province’s high-value tourism economy.
“Health tourists spend roughly 35% more than average visitors,” Minister Somsak said. “If we do this right, Phuket can lead Thailand’s next phase of tourism growth.”