June 2007: Bangkok Medical Center, which is part of the Bangkok Hospital Group, has been awarded JCI Certification.

See this recent publication of THINK ASEAN! Rethinking Marketing toward ASEAN Community 2015, written by Dr. Philip Kotler, published by The McGraw Hill Company (Copyright 2007).

Bangkok Hospital Group

Thailand, "the land of smiles," is best known around the world through two major musicals—Broadway's The King and I and London West End's Chess—and the 1984 hit song One Night in Bangkok written by ABBR. Though frowned upon by the Thais as uncomplimentary and biased depictions of their customs and culture, the shows and music gave the country immense publicity and attracted millions of curious tourists to this exotic destination for cheap entertainment, shopping, food, and other creature pleasures. Besides the draw of beautiful beaches, scenic countryside, and gentle hospitality, a new breed of travelers is flocking to the country for very different reasons—medical and health enhancement vacations.

According to Abacus International, medical tourism is becoming one of Asia's fastest growing industries, projected to be worth at least US$4 billion by 2012. The promise of low-cost, high-quality healthcare is attracting more than 1.3 million tourists a year to key locations such as Thailand where a medical tourist spends an average of US$362 a day, compared with the average traveler's spending of US$144. Bangkok Post 2004 Mid-Year Review states that healthcare costs in Thailand are 50% cheaper than in Singapore, three times cheaper than in Hong Kong, and five to ten times cheaper than in Europe and the US.

A segment of the CBS investigative news program 60 Minutes that aired in September 2005 featured Thailand as the leading medical tourism center where patients were given first-class service at third-world prices. For example, a hip replacement in the US could cost US$39,000 but only US$3,000 in Thailand. Reasons for the rise in medical tourism are the lack of health insurance, high costs of healthcare, and increasing needs of non-insurable procedures such as cosmetic surgeries and infertility treatments.
In the burgeoning medical industry, one hospital stands out as the best among the best in Thailand—Bangkok Hospital. Established in 1972 by a group of doctors and pharmacists, it started with five specialists and 30 full-time nurses to become the country's largest private hospital group with more than 400 full-time consultant physicians and 600 nurses. Its medical network expanded from the flagship hospital to 12 hospitals, 16 specialist centers, and 15 clinics in many provinces in its home country and eight other facilities in Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.

The specialized centers come complete with the latest diagnostic and treatment methods and range from pediatrics to geriatrics, neurology to cardiology, and ophthalmology to treatments for sports-related injuries. In 2000 the Bangkok Heart Institute was the first in Thailand to offer off-pump surgery and minimally invasive cardiac surgery which reduces wound size and time requirement for the surgical procedures, resulting in faster recovery for the patient. For emergency coronary cases, a mobile Coronary Care Unit was introduced in 2003 to fill a critical gap in general ambulance service. The only unit of its kind in Thailand, it is staffed by an experienced coronary doctor and two nurses to treat chronic heart patients on their way to the hospital.

The Bangkok Neurological Gamma Center is the first and only hospital in Thailand that possesses the amazing gamma knife technology. This treatment of neurological diseases is a better and less risky alternative to conventional brain surgical treatment that exposes patients to many complications caused by infections and anesthetics. The center, being the only one in the country, is also an "open center" where any qualified physician from the government and the private sector can admit their patients who are in need of the gamma knife treatment.

Outpatient clinics arc designed around the requirements of patients with different cultural and personal needs. These clinics are designed with unique facilities, such as the International Medical Services, Japanese Medical Services, and Arabic Medical Services. There are essentially four groups of clinics providing medical care. The Internal Medicine Clinic treats those suffering from acute and chronic ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, ulcers, and common infectious diseases. The Surgery Clinic provides day and minor surgeries for appendicitis, varicose vein, thyroid diseases, wounds, and other ailments. The Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic provides full medical consultation and treatment for problems such as infertility, high-risk pregnancy, congenital abnormalities, and gynecologic cancer. The Special Clinic deals with psychiatry disorders such as depression, insomnia, and children's behavioral problems.

Continuous development and investment in the latest technology, medical expertise, and supporting facilities have contributed to the hospital's current status and reputation as one of the top medical institutions in Southeast Asia. Its vision statement is dedicated to maintaining the highest internationally accepted standards of medical practice by delivering quality patient care to each visitor in order to attain its paramount objective—"our patients' complete satisfaction."

Recently, the group invested US$150,000 in a videoconferencing system to link all its hospitals, clinics, and medical professionals around the country. The system helps to improve communications and allows the sharing of X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, and other medical images with minimal loss of quality. The videoconferencing facility minimizes time for administrating treatment and discussing cases among the specialists and physicians in the different centers located around the country. With this, the group can operate its branches as a single entity and patients can count on a comprehensive attentive medical service.

The Thai government's aggressive drive for the country to be a regional healthcare hub has encouraged Bangkok Hospital to raise its bed capacity and look beyond serving the local market. In 2004 alone, the group treated 10,000 outpatients and 1,000 in-patients daily. Its latest addition, the Bangkok International Hospital, is staffed with an international team to provide people from different countries a comfortable and reassuring ambience to make their stay a pleasant one. Besides the hotel-style rooms and specially catered meals to suit every dietary requirement, patients can gain access to the hospital's 26-language translation service to assist them in making enquiries, and to explain medical conditions and give out instructions. In-patients are attended to promptly and professionally with careful consideration for their special cultural, personal, and religious needs. The welcome for international visitors starts with airport pickup, round-the-clock contact for medical assessments, advice on treatment options and doctors' appointments, liaison with embassies and international organizations, claims liaison with insurance companies, travel advice, and 24-hour medical evacuation and repatriation. On top of these, patients can select to have special Thai massages and grooming services in their own rooms, thereby easing the tension of undergoing a medical treatment.

Bangkok Hospital won two first prizes at the Asian Hospital Management Award 2002 presented by Options Information Company in cooperation with The International Hospital Federation, Johns Hopkins International, and The Private Hospital Association of Thailand; with special participation from The Summa Foundation, to support hospitals in the Asia-Pacific region for the delivery of affordable quality health services and products. The hospital has received various accreditations and awards for quality standards such as ISO 9002 and 9001, the Prime Minister's Export Award for Best Service Provider, accreditation by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand, and Superbrands status by Superbrands International. It was the first private hospital in Thailand to receive the Board of Investment Promotion Privileges and it won first prize at the Hospital Management Asia Awards 2002 for the project of Integration of Quality Improvement by using the Standard Requirements of Hospital Accreditation and Brand Management.

Committed to providing medical services of the highest internationally accepted standards, the hospital employs the most appropriate and up-to-date practices and technology in all fields of medicine. In 2005, Elie hospital embarked on a rebranding strategy to renew its corporate image to reflect its business growth and leadership in Thailand's healthcare industry. A fresh logo was launched to differentiate and modernize the 33-year-old hospital icon and to give it a more international and inspiring appeal.

As a pioneer of medical care in Thailand, Bangkok Hospital has served both local and foreign communities with promptness and professionalism in world-class facilities at reasonable prices for over three decades, making it difficult for its closest competitors to follow its success.

Bangkok Hospital is positioned as the convenient and integrated healthcare solution. This positioning is possible because of its well-established infrastructure. As mentioned in the introduction of Part II, differentiation can be created from content, context, and infrastructure. My earlier four cases are companies that rely on content and context as their main differentiation. In the case of Bangkok Hospital, the network of hospitals and clinics with comprehensive integrated healthcare solutions is a fine example of infrastructure differentiation.