A staff stands by 5G ambulances at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
Since the 5G technology was put into use, the survival rate of emergency patients has been greatly improved at Siriraj Hospital, a pilot of Thailand's 5G Smart Hospital project.
by Guo Xinhui, Chen Jiabao
BANGKOK, March 30 (Xinhua) -- As an ambulance is still stuck on the road, the patient's key information, such as vital signs, video images and medical records has already been transmitted to Siriraj Hospital, a pilot of Thailand's 5G Smart Hospital project.
"Saving time means saving lives," said Visit Vamvanij, Director of Siriraj Hospital, Thailand's largest public hospital. "As soon as the patient arrives at the hospital, everybody knows what to do."
Since the new technology was put into use, the survival rate of emergency patients has been greatly improved, Visit told Xinhua.
The 5G ambulance, as part of Thailand's 5G Smart Hospital project, was launched late last year, with Siriraj Hospital as a pilot.
Medical staff conduct a first aid drill at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
The project introduced 5G, cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) from Chinese tech company Huawei, transforming Siriraj into the first 5G Smart Hospital in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
"5G made this a reality as it provides a high-speed network with low latency, which increases the overall efficiency of data transfers, patient monitoring, data collection and analytics, as well as remote medical care, " said Prasit Watanapa, dean of Faculty of Medicine at Mahidol University.
With the help of Huawei Technologies, patients administered in Siriraj Hospital could enjoy a full package of digital services such as 5G ambulance, telemedicine, and AI-assisted diagnoses, which helped speed up diagnosis results from 15 minutes to 25 seconds per case, Prasit said, "We have full confidence in Chinese technology."
A staff operates a 5G medicine dispenser at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
According to Cherchai Nopmaneejumruslers, vice director of Siriraj Hospital, Huawei is helping the hospital upgrade the infrastructure by utilizing 5G, MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing), and hybrid cloud, so as to set up a private network and ensure the security of healthcare information.
The innovative solutions from Huawei are expected to be introduced to other hospitals nationwide this year in enhancing Thailand's healthcare capabilities, he added.
"We want to make Siriraj 5G smart hospital a model for the healthcare sector, so as to drive the digital transformation of the entire health industry in Thailand, even in the ASEAN region," said Abel Deng, chief executive officer (CEO) of Huawei Technologies (Thailand).
A doctor examines the eyes of a patient through a 5G auto refractometer at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
According to Deng, Huawei is working with Shililaji Hospital to establish a joint innovation lab, aiming to explore new medical applications involving 5G, blockchain and AI technologies.
He said Huawei will also provide 5G solutions to their partners in other fields, including smart cities, transportation, manufacturing, energy and education, to help build a "healthy 5G ecosystem" in Thailand.
"China leads the world in 5G technology and 5G applications, which will certainly bring a lot of benefits to Southeast Asia, even ASEAN and Asia-Pacific countries," Deng said. ■
