The meeting of APEC Health Working Group took place in Bangkok on 23-24 August 2022 as part of the APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) hosted by Thailand in 2022. Prof. Dr. Pairash Thajchayapong, Chairman of Thailand BCG Sub Committee on Medical Devices was invited to give a presentation on Thailand’s BCG strategy and actions in the area of health and wellness.
BCG or Bio-Circular-Green Economy is Thailand’s national agenda for sustainable development. The BCG model emphasizes the application of science, technology and innovation to turn Thailand’s comparative advantage in biological and cultural diversity into competitive advantage by creating additional value to agricultural commodities, bioresources and culture while balancing the economic, environmental and societal objectives. The model focuses on Thailand’s high potential industrial sectors, namely include agriculture and food; wellness and medicine; energy, materials, and biochemistry; and tourism and creative economy.
In addition to the presentation, the following facilities and project were showcased to the delegates.
- Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Proton Center, the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia to provide proton beam therapy, a radiation treatment that precisely delivers a beam of protons to disrupt and destroy cancer cells.
- Princess Sirindhorn Craniofacial Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society is the first dedicated center in Southeast Asia for correction of face and head disorders, providing treatment and care to over 3,000 patients. The center also serves as a learning center for physicians in Thailand and abroad. It is recognized for the ‘Chula technique’ which has been adopted by surgeons around the world to correct the frontoethmoidal encephalomeningocele.
- Thai Red Cross Relief and Community Health Bureau provides comprehensive assistance to disasters victims, relieves the vulnerable, and promotes stable and equal quality of life in line with the Thai Red Cross Society’s strategies. Medical services - which include medical treatment, rehabilitation, health promotion and prevention to general public - are provided through 13 Thai Red Cross stations. The bureau also operates mobile medical units for ophthalmic surgery, cleft lip rhinoplasty and dental care.
- Mor Prom is an application launched by the Ministry of Public Health during the pandemic to provide information to the public concerning the COVID-19 and allow people to access vaccination information and post-vaccination evaluation. It is the largest digital health platform in Thailand with over 32 million users. The ministry continues to upgrade the service of Mor Prom Application and Line Official Account to provide digital health service beyond the COVID-19.