Tuesday September 21, 2021 from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. – Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen Province, TCELS, and allies had a meeting to hear the opinions and suggestions from relevant organizations and individuals who work on developing the KHON KAEN MEDICOPOLIS. Dr. Somsak Jungtrakoon, Khon Kaen Governor conveyed the opening address and explained about the related policy. Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University and Dr. Chairat Uthaipiboon, Deputy Director of Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences welcomed the participants. Assoc. Prof. Sukanya Em-imtham, Ph.D., the Project Head gave the reporting speech. Over 60 participants included researchers and representatives from the private sector. The event took place at Napalai Room, Rachawadee Resort and Hotel, Muang District, Khon Kaen.
From Khon Kaen Province’s health strategy that aims at developing the city to be a strong health zone with healthy citizens and a national excellence center of health; together with the Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS) plans to develop the area and support new medical innovations for upgrading the quality of life and economy of the Northeast; this event has been held to hear the opinions and suggestions for the development of KHON KAEN MEDICOPOLIS.
Dr. Somsak Jungtrakoon, Khon Kaen Governor said that Khon Kaen Provvince has laid the health strategies in the Khon Kaen Health Strategic Plans of 2020-2022 that emphasize excellence in health care and services, in doing away with gaps and in building equality for access of health services among the people. In addition to this, Khon Kaen has also been developing the city into a SMART CITY. Therefore the project called KHON KAEN MEDICOPOLIS has been initiated for health innovations and prototype innovations that can be in turn extended to production of medical equipment, tools and supplies as well as other life-science items on an industrial scale. It is expected that in the near future, all of these will lead to value adding in the provincial economy. The project will then benefit everyone and bring about changes in economy and the ways of living of the people.
Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University added that the University places emphasis on the development of programs, strategies, research and services that are in accordance with the Thailand 4.0 economic development, especially when dealing with the complete-cycle medical industries and technologies. The results will be the strength in medical services and health products.
“In order to propel the country to become a leader and a center for health service in Asia, the meeting today is expected to raise perception, awareness, and to build collaborative networks of relevant organizations in the area. The objectives are to develop health services, joint research work, development of health products and health service innovations. Investment with the private sector will be encouraged in order to strengthen the medical works in Khon Kaen Province.”
Dr. Chairat Uthaipiboon, Deputy Director of Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (Public Organization) or (TCELS) explained that the event today is the starting point for urban development and building of collaboration in innovations, health care and promotion in Khon Kaen. The outcomes will be extensions and growth of medical industry in the province, which will in turn raise the quality of life of the people, and a prototype for economic strengthening with medical innovations.
After the opening session, there was a presentation of the plausibility of the Medicopolis Project by the research team. The presentation included the following dimensions: medical innovations and health services, economics plausibility, social and environmental plausibility, and policy and plan plausibility. The next session, run by President of Khon Kaen Chamber of Commerce, Director of Khon Kaen Province Strategic Section, a representative from the public health office, representatives of Khon Kaen citizens, and the Deputy Director of Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences; was the brainstorming session for management of Khon Kaen Medicopolis and the approaches to be taken for developing Khon Kaen into a Smart-Health City.
