The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is working with Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medicine (Ramathibodi Hospital) to improve public health services in Bangkok.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt attended the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the city and the university at Ramathibodi Hospital in Ratchathewi district.

The BMA and Mahidol will collaborate to promote and develop academic knowledge and public health services at primary, advanced and emergency levels for people in metropolitan areas.

The programme will focus on people in vulnerable groups such as elders, children, and underprivileged citizens to ensure that they have access to basic and advanced healthcare services offered by the BMA.

Mahidol representatives said the university will prioritise improving the healthcare standards of city residents at the individual, family and community levels, as well as treatment at medical facilities. This goal aligns with the BMA’s policy of improving healthcare, especially for the elderly.

The BMA has already launched several public-health related projects. They include promoting the active ageing approach among senior citizens, increasing hospital beds by 10,000 units, increasing the number of healthcare excellence centres in communities, extending service hours and coverage of public health service centres, establishing a seamless integrated patient transfer system with comprehensive patient data integration, and providing officials with training for disaster prevention and mitigation.

The BMA and Mahidol will launch a variety of mentor programmes to provide advice and training in public health services to BMA personnel to ensure that they have the necessary skills and experience to service their target groups. These programmes include a 420-hour training course in elderly care, and providing long-term care to dependent patients and those suffering from bedsores.

City officials who complete these programmes will be presented with a certificate or vocational diploma, which will help them further their studies in related disciplines.

Chadchart said the city is pleased to work with Ramathibodi Hospital, which is at the forefront of innovations in healthcare.

“One of the most common problems for Bangkokians is inequality in access to healthcare services, which can be tackled by improving service itself, and providing proper education to relevant personnel,” he said.

“The city has many vocational schools, but most of them teach how to cut hair, bake a cake, or make a dress. We have yet to see a proper school for caregivers and caretakers, which will be in high demand among Thais and foreigners in the future.”