Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, His Excellency Prof. Keizo Takami, visits Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital

On August 29, 2024, His Excellency Prof. Keizo Takami, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, visited Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital, one of the leading private hospitals in Thailand and one of the leading hospitals in the BDMS network, a popular hospital among international patients, particularly Japanese patients. He was greeted by Chairat Panthuraamphorn, M.D., CEO of Samitivej and BNH Hospitals.
 
His Excellency Prof. Keizo Takemi stated, “Given that Samitivej Hospital has accumulated extensive experience in caring for international patients, the purpose of this visit is to study their system for managing foreign patients. The knowledge gained will be used to improve the services provided by Japanese medical institutions, ensuring they can better accommodate the increasing number of foreign patients visiting and residing in Japan.”

Chairat Panthuraamphorn, M.D., led the participants on a tour of the facility, including the inpatient ward and outpatient area, and introduced Samitivej Hospital's international patient service team, specifically the Japanese team, to observe the hospital’s Japanese operations. Currently, Japanese patients account for about 40% of all foreign patients at Samitivej. The hospital made significant efforts to build trust and good relationships with its Japanese patients by sending the staff to train at Japan's leading medical institutions, hiring Japanese doctors and nurses, and providing interpreters. At the same time, the hospital has outfitted facilities, such as examination rooms, with equipment familiar to Japanese patients.

During the Q&A session, both parties discussed in depth details about the Japanese patient experience, including medical fee schedules and payment methods. 

The visit by Japan’s Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare has inspired the Samitivej team to further develop better care for their Japanese and international patients.  Chairat Panthuraamphorn, M.D., has pledged to continuously improve the quality of physical and mental healthcare for Japanese residents in Thailand.