The segment, which aired last Thursday, highlighted the hospital's medical and surgical capabilities as part of a report on the fast-growing medical tourism trend, which sees tens of thousands of Americans travelling abroad for medical treatment every year.

The segment highlighted the case of Lindy Gunderson, a 60-year-old retiree living in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, who travelled to Bumrungrad for spinal surgery after she injured her back in an automobile accident. Gunderson, who is uninsured, saw a CBS "60 Minutes" segment featuring Bumrungrad and decided to travel here for surgery. She described the quality of care as "just outstanding".

The NBC segment featured an interview with Bumrungrad International Group CEO, Curtis Schroeder.

"Programmes like the 'Today Show' and '60 Minutes' are educating people in North America about the quality of medical treatment they can get at Bumrungrad International and the cost savings of overseas care," Schroeder said.

Bumrungrad International has seen a major increase in patients from the USA and Canada, many of whom who can neither afford nor access healthcare in their countries.

In a related story, Singapore's former prime minister and elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew mentioned Bumrungrad Hospital in a speech he gave commemorating Singapore General Hospital's 185th Anniversary. In his April 16 speech, Lee addressed the need for Singapore to become more competitive as a medical hub, and used Bumrungrad as an example, stating, "Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok alone sees more foreign patients than all the Singapore hospitals combined."