World
Medical Tourism Drop Hits Core of Thailand’s Bumrungrad Hospital
- Majority of hospital operator’s patients were from overseas
- Bumrungrad steps up telemedicine, home services amid Covid-19
Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok.
Photographer: Jeremy Horner/LightRocket via Getty Images
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Bumrungrad Hospital Pcl said the plunge in medical tourists traveling to Thailand amid the coronavirus pandemic has squeezed its business, as the majority of the health-care operator’s revenue typically comes from international patients.
“The Covid-19 crisis is a very tough test for all businesses,” Chief Executive Officer Artirat Charukitpipat said in a written interview on Monday. “More than 50% of our patients used to come from overseas. They’ve now disappeared. The most important question is how we will get over this crisis. At Bumrungrad, agility runs in our blood. We have great staff, and they are ready to adjust.”