Bangkok--12 Jun--TCELS
Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS) will push for the so-called “Medicopolis” project aimed at setting up health services and development zone to provide efficient healthcare for the people and also to boost the country’s economy.
Prof.Emeritus Dr.Montri Chulavatanatol, who originated the idea, said the medicopolis will connect healthcare services and the life science technology development. It will not overlap with the Medical Hub Project or other health programs of the Ministry of Public Health. Besides, it helps to reduce the country’s dependence on medical equipments from abroad. As it is considered a mean to generate income for the country, TCELS will push the project forward to become the national policy in the near future.
TCELS under the Ministry of Science and Technology has thrown its full support for the Medicopolis project, which aims to enhance people’s access to health services. TCELS Deputy Director Kamchorn Balangura said the project was an initiative of Prof Dr Montri who saw that Thailand is going to spend more money on the medical and healthcare services for its people, as it has to depend on expensive medical equipments and supplies from overseas.
Also, many attempts by Thai researchers and industrialists on life sciences research and development, as well as integration into the national health system are still facing many problems, which TCELS is responsible to solve. “Medicopolis” provides an answer to those problems.
Prof Montri said the concept of medicopolis has three main objectives namely, to set up an efficient health service zone for the public; to create health service economy; to integrate research and development on medical supplies and equipments into the health services system. To achieve these 3 objective, TCELS has indentified three categories of medicopolis that are suitable for Thailand.
1) Platinum Medicopolis, designed for aging population which is likely to increase dramatically in the near future, locally as well as globally.
2) Superstar Medicopolis will respond to the needs of the new generation who are more obsessed with beauty and good look.
3) Wellness Medicopolis is aimed at creating a healthy and wellness community where people can work efficiently and live a happy life.
Each category may serve Thais or foreigners visiting in Thailand. This initiative, however, is not overlapping with either the Medical Hub policy or the work of the Public Health Ministry. On the other hand, they will support each other for the greater benefits of the people and the nation.
Prof Montri said what needs to be done simultaneously is the management of research and development system so that medical supplies and equipments can better fit to the healthcare services in medicopolis.
In each type of medicopolis, the research and development method must emphasize on clinical trials, the products quality testing and certification system, the production at industrial and model
plant levels, by applying the Thai research and technology, as well as international tec
hnology.
He added the steps to be taken for the first year of the project is to assess the need for healthcare services among Thai people and within the ASEAN Community, and to join force in research and development system, from clinical trials, production, quality testing and certification of product standards. The second year will involve selection of location for each type of Medicopolis, as well as doing public relations, inviting more investment from private sector and offering government incentives to attract investors.
“Medicopolis is different from existing industrial estates already existing in Thailand. Medicopolis is a designated area providing medical and healthcare services and developing life sciences knowledge and technology at local and international levels. Medicopolis will make use of inventions of researchers under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Industry, education institutions, and other research institutes. This idea also can lead to national policy to develop Thailand as the health center of ASEAN.” said Prof Montri.
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