Installation of Private Medical Device in Government Facilities - การติดตั้งเครื่องมือแพทย์ของเอกชนในสถานที่ราชการ

Abstract

              Currently, the need to improve diagnostic procedure in order to increase efficiency and technical soundness of medical services has led to the increasing efforts among medical facilities to make available advanced medical devices either within the facilities or accessible by patients who such technology. However, many devices are extremely expensive; and government health facilities in developing countries are unable to obtain fiscal budget to procure them. Thus, there were attempts to let private investors to install their medical devices in public health facilities. In case of Thailand, there are 4 alternative procedures: (1) allowing a private company to rent an office space in the hospital to install the medical device and provide independent services to the patients; (2) the hospital requiring the expensive medical device can rent such device from a private company to be installed in and operated by the hospital; (3) to make a contractual agreement with a private company for the services requiring the use of the medical device; and (4) utilizing a hospital welfare system that can contract a private company to operate the services requiring the use of the medical device within the hospital. Each approach is based on a specific principle and process that is in line with the existing laws and regulations of the country as well as different level of benefits to the hospital. Thus, hospital administrators and the medical teams should study all 4 alternatives; and proceed with the one that serves the objective of the hospital in order to make available the expensive medical devices to improve the efficiency of the medical services and gain satisfactions from their clients.
Key words: expensive medical device, private company's device in public hospital, royal land