NEC Thailand is testing a digital health platform to support elderly and patient care in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.

NEC has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chiang Mai Municipality to transform Chiang Mai into a smart city, starting with a digital platform for the district’s healthcare system. The system will support healthcare facilities in Chiang Mai that are housing elderly and chronically-ill patients.

The MoU will also explore the feasibility of using other smart-hospital applications in the community.

“We are delighted to expand on our earlier trial with a local nursing home in Chiang Mai to one that involves the municipality,” said Ichiro Kurihara, president of NEC Thailand. “Thailand needs to evolve its healthcare system to manage the effects of an ageing population, and we are glad to take the first step together with the local authorities to develop a digital health platform in three key phases for patients in Chiang Mai.”

NEC and participating healthcare providers will deploy IoT devices in the facilities for the first phase. They will also deploy an app that will notify caregivers and patients’ relatives in case of emergencies, such as a fall or when a patient feels extremely unwell.

In the second phase, NEC will support caregivers with an application that allows for remote health monitoring through cloud-based systems. The application will also allow patients to manage their appointments and medication requests. This should have a huge improvement in reducing the workload of healthcare assistants.

Lastly, NEC will support Chiang Mai Municipality in facilitating telemedicine services by allowing patients to receive diagnoses and consultations on mild illnesses or follow-up treatments with doctors from the comforts of their home.

“This partnership marks a significant milestone in NEC’s vision of creating sustainable societies empowered by technology,” said Kurihara. “We have identified healthcare as a key focus area where Thailand needs significant improvements to manage the effects of an ageing population. With the digital platform for Chiang Mai’s healthcare system in phase one, we aim to enhance access to quality medical services and improve the overall well-being of residents. We are excited by this collaboration, and look forward to working closely with Chiang Mai Municipality to shape the future of Chiang Mai.”

NEC started official activity in Thailand in 1962 by establishing a liaison office, and established NEC Thailand in 1987. It provides a professional consultancy in IT technologies and professional service in Thailand.