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BUMRUNGRAD INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL: WHATMAKES IT THE WORLD’S TOP MEDICAL TOURISMHOSPITAL?Posted in Medical Providers by MyMedHoliday on February 19, 2014
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5/3/2557 Bumrungrad International Hospital: What Makes it the World’s Top Medical Tourism Hospital? | Medical Tourism Blog
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Photo credited to Bumrungrad International Hospital
Bumrungrad International Hospital (BIH) is one of the leading medical institutions in all of
Asia. It’s also an institution in the sense that it’s a fixture among expats, tourists, and
medical tourists in need of healthcare in Bangkok.
Its long record of success helped it become the first hospital in Asia to receive Joint
Commission International (JCI) accreditation in 2002, it has earned special distinction for
its stroke and heart programs, and it is a regular recipient of the US-based DAISY
Foundation’s Daisy Award recognizing outstanding nursing services.
When myMEDholiday.com was invited to tour Bumrungrad International Hospital and
interview a high-ranking public relations manager, we had no problem gearing up with
questions about their services and their 1,200 physicians, surgeons, dentists, and
consultants, of which roughly 220 are US board-certified.
Photo credited to Bumrungrad International Hospital
Here’s a look at just some of what we learned about this world-class facility…
BIH is all about providing special support for international patients. What you’ll notice is
it’s big and busy, yet efficient and easy to navigate, even in the bustling, airy, naturally-
lighted main lobby which includes the customer service center, a flower shop, a Bangkok
Bank branch, and Starbuck’s. There are other international shops throughout the
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Bumrungrad campus, too, like Healthy Max, Au Bon Pain, and even McDonald’s (for
visitors, not patients, we’d presume!).
Photo credited to Bumrungrad International Hospital
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Photo credited to Bumrungrad International Hospital
Once an international patient has arrived for treatment, their first point of contact is the
English-speaking customer service team comprised of 10 inpatient and over 20 outpatient
staff. These agents check you in and direct you to the appropriate areas for treatment or
consultation, and if communication difficulties arise, agents reach out to translators of 12
different languages. Arabic is most popular, and there are even five Mongolian
translators (plus two Mongolian doctors on staff) which, to me, indicates just how global
this facility really is.
Elevator signage throughout the hospital is in Arabic, Japanese, Thai, and English, and
beyond the ease of communications, BIH has made it easy for patients to know when and
where they need to be for their treatments. An automated system of TV monitors running
throughout this leader of medical tourism hospitals shows their patient number in a
queue reminiscent of an airport’s departures board.
One of the more popular stops for patients is the 11th floor Health Screening center which
seemed an object lesson in efficiency. The different areas one visits during a
comprehensive check-up at Bumrungrad are streamlined from check-in to billing and
post-screening refreshments, and include a program-selection desk where patients
choose one of four programs that cover everything from cholesterol tests to liver function
assessments to hepatitis screening.
Photo credited to Bumrungrad International Hospital
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Photo credited to Bumrungrad International Hospital
Patients who go to the 12th floor inpatient ward find a clean, comfy, modern facility
featuring 554 beds and a fleet of doting nurses. There are 15 types of rooms with the
basic single-occupancies setting you back just over US$300 per day and the deluxe
suites running $875 per day. We visited one of the single rooms, and it was similar to a
clean, comfortable budget hotel: wood floor, microwave, chairs, sofa, and other amenities
that patients – and no doubt their visitors – take full advantage of.
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Photo credited to Bumrungrad International Hospital
Photo credited to Bumrungrad International Hospital
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Photo credited to Bumrungrad International Hospital
One reason why medical tourism in Thailand is so popular is because of the array of
hospitals excelling in not only essential treatments, but also “elective” ones such as dental
care and cosmetic/plastic surgery. According to Wissanun Kunplin, our PR contact, BIH
provides a full range of tertiary healthcare services with over 80 clinical specialties and
subspecialties, with the majority of international patients coming for advance treatments
and critical care.
We were also informed that the hospital sees one-million inpatient/outpatient visitors per
year, of which 40% are expats, tourists, and medical tourists for whom health screenings,
heart procedures, orthopaedics, and joint & spine treatments are most popular. Of those
overseas patients, the UAE provides the most of Asian countries, the USA is the leader
for Western countries, and the most popular treatments include health check-ups,
gastroenterology, Ob/Gyn, pediatrics, and general surgery.
When asked why Bumrungrad attracts so many overseas patients, Khun Wissanun
pointed to a variety of factors driving BIH’s popularity with medical tourists. Those arriving
from Southeast Asian countries tend to come because of BIH’s high-quality doctors,
nurses, staff, and the famous Thai hospitality; patients from the Middle East and East
Asian countries like Mongolia visit for the advanced care that they can’t find in their home
country; patients from Europe and other parts of the world with socialized medicine come
to avoid long wait times for things like knee replacements; and Americans are mainly
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5/3/2557 Bumrungrad International Hospital: What Makes it the World’s Top Medical Tourism Hospital? | Medical Tourism Blog
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motivated by cost savings.
Bumrungrad is anywhere from 50% to 80% less expensive than care in the U.S.A., but
medical tourism is about more than affordability. It’s about convenience, specialized
treatments, and receiving care for things one can’t get at home such as surrogacy or
stem cell therapy; and, it’s about excellent doctors, advanced technology, high service
standards, and an amazing vacation destination. What we’ve learned is that Bumrungrad
International Hospital in Bangkok covers it all, and in our next post we will look at the
special care BIH takes for their surprisingly large number of Arab and Muslim patients
from GCC countries (Gulf Cooperation Council).
Tags : accredited hospital, accredited hospitals, affordable health care, Bumrungrad
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cost treatments, medical holiday, Medical Tourism, medical tourists, medical travel,
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