Thailand’s telecoms regulator, the NBTC, Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, and Siriraj Hospital have launched what they describe as the first 5G smart hospital in the Southeast Asian area covered by ASEAN. The ‘Siriraj World Class 5G Smart Hospital’ incorporates 5G, cloud and AI technologies, and has technology provided by Huawei.

The opening ceremony for the new 5G Smart Hospital was attended by both the prime minister of Thailand, and the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China.

In a parallel move, Siriraj Hospital and Huawei will establish a Joint Innovation Lab to incubate over 30 innovative 5G applications that will be promoted nationwide from 2022.

Siriraj Hospital and Huawei signed a five-year MoU in December 2020 to accelerate the use of 5G and cloud technologies. In June, 5G unmanned vehicles were introduced for contactless medical supplies delivery. Last year, Siriraj was awarded by CommunicAsia for “Most Innovative 5G Trial in Asia Pacific Region.”

The prime minister of Thailand, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, addressed the national policy on 5G and the digital economy. “Thailand understands the importance of technology, and today is an important first step in the utilisation of digital technologies and 5G in the medical field. We are thankful for the long-lasting friendship and collaboration between Thailand and China. We admire Siriraj Hospital and Mahidol University, and would like to thank Huawei, NBTC, and all other partners. We hope the project will act as a blueprint for all smart hospitals in Thailand going forward.”

Han Zhiqiang, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Thailand, said that China will leverage technology to help Thailand fight the pandemic. “China and Thailand’s 5G cooperation has become a model in the region, helping Thailand become the first country in Southeast Asia to launch 5G commercial use. China will continue to support Huawei and other Chinese companies in advancing Smart Hospitals and bringing better lives for Thai and Chinese people.”

Prof. Dr. Prasit Watanapa, MD, Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital Mahidol University, and Colonel Natee Sukonrat, Ph.D., Vice-Chairman of NBTC emphasised that with the “smart hospitals” model, people in remote areas will have better opportunities to access advanced health care services.

Abel Deng, CEO of Huawei Thailand, said, “This signifies a model for upgrading Thailand’s public health industry in the future and contributes to Siriraj’s transition to becoming a smart hospital, in line with Huawei’s mission to Grow in Thailand, Contribute to Thailand.”