Hospitals in Thailand
Encyclopedia
Most hospital
s in Thailand
are operated by the Ministry of Public Health
(MOPH). Private hospital
s are regulated by the Medical Registration Division under the MOPH's Department of Health Service Support following the Sanatorium Act, B.E. 2541. Other government units and public organisations also operate hospitals, including the military, universities, local governments and the Red Cross. As of 2010, there are 1,002 public hospitals and 316 registered private hospitals.
Provincial hospitals operated by the MOPH's Office of the Permanent Secretary are classified as follows:
While all three types of hospitals serve the local population, community hospitals are usually limited to providing primary care
, while referring
patients in need of more advanced or specialised care to general or regional hospitals.
The term general hospital, when referring to private hospitals, refer to hospitals which provide non-specialised care. Private hospitals with less than 30 beds are officially termed health centres. Both are defined as accepting patient admissions.
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
are operated by the Ministry of Public Health
Ministry of Public Health (Thailand)
The Ministry of Public Health , is a Thai government body responsible for the oversight of Public Health in Thailand.-External links:* - Official Website in Thai* - Official Website in English...
(MOPH). Private hospital
Private hospital
A private hospital is a hospital owned by a profit company or a non-profit organisation and privately funded through payment for medical services by patients themselves, by insurers, or by foreign embassies. This practice is very common in the United States and Australia...
s are regulated by the Medical Registration Division under the MOPH's Department of Health Service Support following the Sanatorium Act, B.E. 2541. Other government units and public organisations also operate hospitals, including the military, universities, local governments and the Red Cross. As of 2010, there are 1,002 public hospitals and 316 registered private hospitals.
Provincial hospitals operated by the MOPH's Office of the Permanent Secretary are classified as follows:
- Regional hospitals are located in province centres, have a capacity of at least 500 beds and have a comprehensive set of specialistSpecialty (medicine)A specialty in medicine is a branch of medical science. After completing medical school, physicians or surgeons usually further their medical education in a specific specialty of medicine by completing a multiple year residency to become a medical specialist.-History of medical specialization:To...
s on staff. - General hospitals are located in province capitals or major districtAmphoeAn amphoe is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. Usually translated as district, amphoe make up the provinces, and are analogous to a county seat...
s and have a capacity of 200 to 500 beds. - Community hospitals are located in the district level and further classified by size:
- Large community hospitals have a capacity of 90 to 150 beds.
- Medium community hospitals have a capacity of 60 beds.
- Small community hospitals have a capacity of 10 to 30 beds.
While all three types of hospitals serve the local population, community hospitals are usually limited to providing primary care
Primary care
Primary care is the term for the health services by providers who act as the principal point of consultation for patients within a health care system...
, while referring
Referral (medicine)
In medicine, referral is the transfer of care for a patient from one clinician to another.Tertiary care is usually done by referral from primary or secondary medical care personnel....
patients in need of more advanced or specialised care to general or regional hospitals.
The term general hospital, when referring to private hospitals, refer to hospitals which provide non-specialised care. Private hospitals with less than 30 beds are officially termed health centres. Both are defined as accepting patient admissions.