Page 34 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL5

MARKETING MIND‘An attractive campus with investments in technology and innovation is important, but it is the quality of doctors that make us who we are’recognized specialists to diagnose and treat serious medical conditions such as cancer, heart disease and complications of the brain and vital organs. We actually have over fifty five sub-specialities where we have very high standards of care.We want to focus on breadth and also go very deep. To do that, we have a campus environment here and we’ re continuing to acquire land and add buildings to have more beds. Central Bangkok is an attractive location; all the services are here. By having top doctors, nurses and supporting staff here we can build on the success we’ve already had throughout the years.Thailand has positioned itself as an international hub for medicine. How does Bumrungrad contribute to this?Ten years ago Thailand was not seen as such a strong medical hub,32 Elite+and places such as Singapore had a stronger claim to leadership in this. However, over the years Thailand has earned the recognition to be the leader of medical travel. Thailand not only has a very strong pool of qualified and capable doctors but also has good infrastructure, warm hospitality and a deep history of welcoming and working with foreigners.Bumrungrad is a great example of this; we see more than half a million international patients from over 190 countries each year. We have been in business for 34 years, and have decades of experience in welcoming and treating foreign patients together with Thais. This long experience has given us the expertise to fine-tune the model of caring for all patients. For example, we have a Medical Coordination Office that has medical interpreters in more than twenty languages, to help synchronize theappointment schedule and put patients at ease. This is an important part of our service offering, and makes patients who are seeking care in an otherwise unfamiliar environment comfortable.Forty percent of our international patients have come before, and the number one reason these patients come to us is word of mouth. This doesn’t happen overnight, but through years of sustained effort.What is your view on Thai medical science professionals?Thailand is blessed to have a long history of good doctors, and our medical science professionals are top notch. Many of our Thai-educated doctors have practised for several years in the USA, Australia and Europe. They sometimes comment that getting a job at Bumrungrad is as or more difficult than in the US. I find the standard of professionalism and