BANG KHUNTHIAN TO THE RESCUE
Geriatric hospital prepped for ‘phi noi’ returnees
The return of phi noi — a term used to describe illegal Thai labourers working in South Korea — has prompted the authorities to nominate a staterun facility as a quarantine site as the country looks to minimise the spread of Covid-19 with workers returning from the second-worst hit nation.
Determining the location for a quarantine site has been problematic as communities in tourist areas are afraid that the presence of a quarantine site in their towns might scare away the dwindling number of visitors.
Earlier last week, the government ordered the Royal Thai Army and provincial governors across the country to prepare an appropriate space for a state-provided quarantine.
For example, residents in Phetchaburi protested against a suggestion to use the army base at Chao Samran Beach in Muang district as the quarantine site. The mayor of Hua Hin yesterday issued a letter protesting against the army’s decision to open its army recreational centre at Suan Son Pradhibat in Hua Hin district as a quarantine space.
These state quarantine facilities are expected to handle the 5,000 Phi Noi who, according to the Foreign Ministry and Labour Ministry, have registered to return to Thailand between December and June.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has chosen Bang Khunthian Geriatric Hospital as the quarantine site, said Pijaya Nagavajra, the deputy permanent city clerk.
The section of the hospital — located in the Bang Khunthian area on the outskirts of Bangkok — to be used for quarantine will be the newly developed buildings, which were set to open later this year.
The hospital has enough room and facilities to accommodate up to 100 quarantined individuals, Dr Pijaya told the media on Thursday.
The site is ideal as it is located by a secluded coastal area, so it will not create panic among community residents, Dr Pijaya added.
Also, making use of the hospital’s newly-built buildings, which are not yet operational, will not affect ongoing medical operations elsewhere.
Bang Khunthian Geriatric Hospital will open five new buildings eventually, and one of these buildings, which comprises eight one-storey resort-like structures, will serve as the quarantine site.
Altogether, these eight buildings will have 32 rooms and each room will be designed to accommodate up to three patients at a time.
“This place is ideal for quarantine purposes as there is a lot of space for medical personnel to isolate quarantined people and monitor their conditions. Above all, this new section of the hospital has not yet opened for in-patients,” Dr Pijaya said.
The BMA is confident Bang Khunthian Geriatric Hospital will prove to be a successful quarantine site and help the country deal with the outbreak better.
Besides its isolated location and good hygiene standards, the hospital is also designed to function as a nursery and wellness centre for the elderly.
The hospital’s buildings are also designed to make patients feel relaxed thanks to the weather and the location with a view of the bay.
CARE FOR AN AGEING SOCIETY
Bang Khunthian Geriatric Hospital is known as Thailand’s first state hospital for elderly patients.
The hospital was established in 2009 by former Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Boripatra to provide outpatient treatment and dentistry services in 2012.
The hospital also offers special treatment for the elderly, including clinics for acupuncture, diabetes, orthopaedics, and even traditional Thai medicine.
The project was made possible with the help of two philanthropists — Uraisri Khanuengsukkasem and Pornthip Wongsiridech — both of whom are landlords and natives of the coastal district.
In 2009, these women donated 24 rai of land in the Tha Kham area of the district to the BMA.
The pair had been attempting to donate the land — which was once home to shrimp farms — for public purposes for years, but they received no attention from various authorities.
The women had set a condition that the land they donate must be used only to build a state-run hospital, as there were no such facilities in the area.
Before the hospital was built, people living in the area had to travel a long distance to reach the nearest staterun hospital.
The land donors’ wish finally came true when MR Sukhumband launched a plan to build a medical facility to treat the elderly in Bangkok in an area known for its fresh air and coastal views.
That was when Bang Khunthian Geriatric Hospital was built on Bang Khunthian-Chai Thale Road, about 10 kilometres off Rama II Road. The hospital opened its outpatient ward in 2012.
After seven years of operation, the hospital was due for a major upgrade with the construction of buildings which would enable the hospital to take care of more patients.
The BMA has ambitious plans for this facility as it aims to provide medical care and services to the same standard as leading private-run hospitals while charging patients the low rates enjoyed in state-run facilities.
The new section of the hospital is set to begin its first phase of operation this year and will be capable of housing at least 100 in-patients.
By 2025, the total number of beds will increase to 300, which means the hospital will be able to serve at least 2,400 patients per day.
The hospital will not only serve residents of Bang Khunthian district but also Bang Bon, Chom Thong, Rat Burana and some parts of the neighbouring Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon provinces.
COZY QUARANTINE
One of the five newly-built buildings is 70,000 square metres and will serve as an intensive care unit and geriatric centre, according to Umporn Kiatpanabhikul, director of the hospital.
Meanwhile, one of the other buildings will be 17,000 square metres in size and will feature a floating garden and provide panoramic views of the Bang Khunthian mangrove forest.
This building and others will all be inter-connected by a walkway.
Moreover, the rooftop of the second building will be decorated as a park for both patients and their relatives.
The third building — the highlight of the project — is a cluster of eight resort-like one-storey buildings. It is this cluster of buildings that will serve as the quarantine space for those under Covid-19 watch.
The two other buildings will be designated as accommodation for hospital staff.
Umporn Kiatpanabhikul, the director of the hospital, told the media in a press interview months ago that: “Some have said these buildings look more like a resort.”
Each of them will be equipped with appliances which are normally found in standard VIP rooms at private-run hospitals.
In addition, they will also offer stunning views of the surrounding mangrove forest.
The hospital has been made with a universal design concept in mind to make it more appear more like home.
The BMA expects the facility to offer VIP services similar to those offered at private-run hospitals while charging patients the same rates at staterun hospitals.
The project illustrates the Thai authorities’ attempt to deal with the increasing prevalence of a “grey society”.
In recent years, Thailand has become an ageing society, with 17% of the population aged 70 or older, according to the Public Health Ministry.
This year, Thailand expects to see the total number of elderly people surpass the number of children for the first time.
Over the next three years, Thailand is expected to experience an ageing demographic shift, with up to 20% of the population, or about 4.6 million, being classified as elderly, he said.
The number of elderly is projected to reach 20.5 million, or 32% of the entire population by 2040.
In Bangkok alone, the number of elderly residents will rise to 2 to 3 million in the very near future.
Bangkok has a population of about 10 million and the BMA has a total of nine hospitals under its jurisdiction, which altogether have a total in-patient ward capacity of 1,845 beds, serving 3.8 million patients annually, or one-third of city residents and dwellers.
This place is ideal as there is a lot of space to isolate quarantined people and monitor their conditions.
DEPUTY PERMANENT CITY CLERK, DR PIJAYA NAGAVAJRA