By Linda Khoo Hui Li
BANGKOK, Sept 25 (Bernama) — Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS), Thailand’s largest private hospital network, is eyeing more Chinese patients to seek medical services when the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs and air travel resumes.
Its senior vice-president of international marketing, corporate advertising and public relations, Buranut Limjitti said Thailand is a major hub for medical tourism and attracts between three and four million medical tourists every year.
He said BDMS, which has 47 hospitals in Thailand and two hospitals in Cambodia, receives 70 per cent Thai patients and 30 per cent foreign patients.
At present, Chinese patients account for about one to two per cent of total foreign patients, the fifth largest group behind the Middle East, Japan, Myanmar and Scandinavia in BDMS, he said.
To tap into the Chinese market, he said BDMS has partnered with China’s largest internet healthcare platform, Ping An Good Doctor, a one-stop healthcare ecosystem covering online medical services, consumer healthcare services, a health mall, as well as health management and wellness interaction.
In June, BDMS partnered with Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China Ltd, offering Ping An Policyholders various medical care, including health check-up, cancer screening and treatment programmes, orthopaedic services, hip replacement surgery, as well as a variety of cardiovascular procedures and neurological services.
Ping An Good Doctor, a world-leading technology-powered retail financial services group has more than 210 million retail customers and 560 million internet users.
“With this strategic partnership, BDMS and Ping An Good Doctor will continue to design healthcare packages for Ping An members,” he told Bernama.
BDMS network comprises 49 hospitals across six major groups — Bangkok Hospital, Samitivej Hospital, BNH Hospital, Phyathai Hospital, Paola Hospital in Bangkok, and Royal Hospital Group in Cambodia.
Every year, about 1.5 to two million international patients seek treatment at BDMS network hospitals.
Buranut said BDMS and Ping An Good Doctor offer overseas health check-up, specially tailored for Chinese patients.
Patients can make appointments through Ping An Good Doctor’s application via video consultations with doctors in Thailand.
“BDMS has MoUs with Ping An Health Insurance and Ping An Good Doctor (the e-platform). They are two different companies. With Ping An Health, we have been doing educational knowledge sharing,” he said.
BMDS has developed a website, bdmschina.com to provide Chinese patients with latest updates on healthcare packages and health-related information.
The medical giant has received a growing number of international patients for a diverse range of treatments from general examinations, IVF, orthopaedic surgery, hip and knee replacement, cancer treatment to advanced pediatric care, bone marrow transplants, and pediatric heart surgery.
As the government has agreed in principle long-stay for foreign tourists to stay up to nine months, Buranut hoped international patients will return as early as November.
— BERNAMA