The opening of a new hospital is always a remarkable event. The Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin (BHN) that opened its doors on November 1st is the latest addition to the hospitals owned and operated by the Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, the parent organization for all the ‘Bangkok Hospitals’. In addition to its flagship hospital in Bangkok BDMS governs twenty hospitals including ones in the all the main resort areas of Thailand, Phuket, Pattaya and Ko Sumui. Hua Hin was a big gap in this network of hospitals; now that gap has been filled.
Our new hospital being a member of this network of hospitals has the advantage that all the experience and expertise that the network has acquired can be used in planning, building and operating the new hospital. Many networks of hospitals expand by acquiring the ownership of other existing hospitals, but BDMS’s expansion has also included the building of several hospitals on empty land and is very experienced in how this should be done. Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and Bangkok Hospital Sumui are examples of this approach. The construction of any building, a condominium complex, shopping center, school or hospital needs particular expertise in its design.
Hospitals are incredibly complicated and there is a whole sub-section of Architects who specialize in this work. The government regulations are very precise and each part of the construction needs to meet exacting inspections. If this was not complicated enough, we know that it is essential that a hospital be a warm, welcoming place and not a cold medical factory. In BHN every patient will be in private one-person room. These rooms are beautifully furnished and decorated, this is not only for patient’s comfort but having every patient in a private room is very important for preventing cross infections, which are a huge problem in some European hospitals.
The hospital has an impressive management team. Dr Somarch Wongkhomthong is the Hospital Director. Dr Somarch has been with the Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok (BMC) for many years. He was responsible for the development of the International service that has been successful in bringing patients from other countries to Bangkok for medical care. He practiced in Japan for many years and this experience makes him very sensitive to the personal and medical needs of patients from other countries and cultures.
The Assistant Medical Director is Dr Apiwat Noiprasit; Dr Apiwat trained and has practiced for ten years as a specialist in Internal medicine. He spent four years in the new Bangkok Hospital in Ko Sumui. Very few doctors have the experience of working in a new hospital, so his experience there will be of great value in Hua Hin. Our nurses, pharmacists, technicians and many of the support staff have all worked at BMC and ALL the Doctors and nurses who join the staff will come from BMC; we are truly going to reproduce the Bangkok experience here in Hua Hin.
I would like to mention one other member of staff K Nipathorn Sawangvit (K.Nim) who is responsible for the public relations for the hospital and will be able to help you if you have any problems. The first phase of the hospital, the Emergency Department, opened on November 1st and is busier than we anticipated. The next phase of the hospital to open will be the Out Patient Department (OPD). The construction and installation of equipment is going very well. Originally we thought that the clinics would open in April but we now are confident that they will open in early January. These clinics will be by appointment only.
We will have clinics in General medicine, Children’s Clinic, Women’s Care Clinic, General Surgery and some surgical specialty areas such as Orthopedic Surgery, Urology and other specialty areas. The third and last phase, the full in-patient services with Operating Rooms and Intensive Care unit is also likely to be open earlier than anticipated, possibly in March. Telephone for Emergency Department. 032 616 888 or 1719 Telephone for Clinic appointments. 032 616 800 or 1719 Dr Michael Moreton who previously practiced Obstetrics and Gynecology in Canada and China is the International Medical Coordinator at Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin. He will be happy to answer any questions that you might have — Moreton@ bgh.co.th
