WiMax to enable access to better medical aid

In the near future, Chiang Khong residents will be able to get better and faster access to medical services despite being in remote locations far from the main hospital in the area.

About 65,000 people in the Chiang Khong region get medical services from the nearby government medical clinics, which have limited medical equipement and no doctor on standby.

However, using a WiMax broadband-wireless network, they will now be able to access services and medical treatment directly from the doctors at Chiang Khong Crown Prince Hospital, which is located about five kilometers away.

Instead of travelling to see the doctors at the Chiang Khong Crown Prince Hospital, they will be able to get medical services from the hospital's doctors even at the remote medical clinics, thanks to the deployment of WiMax technology at the Chiang Khong Crown Prince Hospital.

This will allow three government medical clinics to access the wireless broadband network and communicate with the hospital's doctors directly and in real time, Chiang Khong Crown Prince Hospital director Somprat Munjit said.

The implementation of WiMax technology at the hospital is being supported by the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC), which has enabled the hospital to try out the WiMax technology in the Chiang Khong region for a year.

The project will start in December.

"The project is aimed at providing medical services to people living in remote areas that are similar to what people living in cities get. People who live along the Mae Khong River will be able to get medical services from the Chiang Khong Crown Prince Hospital in real time," Somprat said.

The WiMax base station will be located at the Chiang Khong Crown Prince Hospital.

It will serve seven WiMax clients, including three located at medical clinics in the Chiang Khong region and others will be embedded in four ambulances.

Using WiMax, nurses and medical staff at the government medical clinics will be able to provide better medical services to patients because they will be able consult with the doctors at Chiang Khong Crown Prince Hospital online in real time through a video-conferencing system.

For example, they can "show" the patient's x-ray film and seek advice from the specialists.

"Given the capacity of the broadband network, patient's multimedia information can be sent from the clinic to the hospital so that the doctor can get the patient's information and provide the medical treatment remotely," Somprat said.

WiMax clients embedded in ambulances will also let the doctors virtually visit the patients at home using the wireless-broadband network.

"The ambulances will act as our mobile unit to visit the patients at home. With the WiMax technology, we can contact doctors at the hospital and provide the medical consultation as well as treatment for the patients," Somprat said.

Under the plan, after the trial project, the success of the implementation will be evaluated. It is expected that WiMax-based projects will be expanded to 21 other hospitals under the Crown Prince Hospital Foundation throughout the country.