The official opening last week marked the opening of Phuket’s third major private hospital, which is to offer a full range of “secondary services”. The hospital opened quietly in September last year, offering outpatient services and limited inpatient services. It has been certified as a 29-bed hospital with service expansion planned for the future to eventually provide 224 beds.
Current medical services include internal medicine, paediatrics, gynaecology, Ear, Nose and Throat, health checkups, and 24-hour emergency service.
“Dibuk Hosital is a brand-new hospital in Phuket run under Bangkok Hospital Phuket. Its unique circular structure is meant to maximize utility and functionality both inside and outside the buildings, with energy-saving and green concerns,” said Dr Kongkiat Kespechara, Managing Director of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS).
“The hospital is situated in the areas that used to be tin mines, Phuket’s key economic activity in the old days. To reflect Phuket’s rich history of the century old tin mine industry, our new hospital was named ‘Dibuk’ [the Thai word for tin].
Although BDMS owns and operates all three major hospitals in Phuket – Bangkok Hospital Phuket, Phuket International Hospital and now Dibuk Hospital – the new facility aims to break new ground in quality medical services and sleek service flow at a reasonable price, Dr Kongkiat said.
“Since its very conception, a panel of specialists/stakeholders – including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, hospital staff, architects, engineers – joined forces to make it truly their dream hospital, complete with industry-leading sleek physical design, streamlined service flow, and effective energy and resources management. It serves as a hospital offering secondary care to all Phuket residents up to medical standards at a greater value – a new pride of Phuket,” he said.
“Aimed at serving as a new unique choice of healthcare, Dibuk Hospital manoeuvres service delivery in such a way that makes the most of building structures through synergising service units across a 360-degree spectrum.
“All relevant service units are situated in close proximity, while workflow redundancy common in other hospitals is minimized, along with efficient IT system to ensure accurate information sharing through wrist bands with QR code scanning. This results in accurate patient identification, reduction of paper use by over 90 per cent, and minimized waiting time for clients, who will experience more convenient, timely and hassle-free medical service.”
This led the hospital to garner the Thailand ICT Excellence Award 2015 from the Thailand Management Association (TMA) for its excellent application of IT innovations in healthcare, he added.
Dr Paramaporn Prasarttong-Osoth pointed out that the BDMS group runs hospitals under six brands, including the well-known names Bangkok Hospital, Samitivej Hospital, BNH Hospital and Phyathai Hospital.
“With our commitment to provide high-quality healthcare for both Thai and international clients, we are pressing ahead with state-of-the-art technology and patient-focused service with total empathy. This year sees many of our hospitals officially open their doors, including Dibuk Hospital as a secondary-care hospital,” he said.
“BDMS group always realizes the importance of Phuket as a prime destination for both Thai and foreign visitors alike, so we have continuously expanded our medical infrastructure to satisfy all medical needs.
“Currently, our group has three hospitals in Phuket, which will combine to deliver the most comprehensive range of healthcare and the most advanced medical technology, along with growing trust from near and far.”
At the event last Thursday, Phuket Vice Governor Khajornkiet Rakpanichmanee congratulated Dibuk Hospital on its official inauguration following de facto operations since mid-2015.
“I appreciate the dedication and determination of all the hospital management, doctors, nurses and staff for creating a unique hospital with the outstanding concept led by innovative design and technology,” he said.
“We are very much hopeful that Dibuk Hospital will take good care of Phuket people’s health and well-being. In the end, it can also serve as an exemplar hospital model that other healthcare organizations will look up to and learn from.”