Siriraj set for major overhaul

The Cabinet yesterday approved Siriraj Hospital's proposal to build a medical centre and improve its infrastructure in a project worth Bt4.4 billion.

The 2013-2017 project will mark His Majesty's 7th cycle or 84th birthday, government deputy spokesman Pakdeehan Himathongkham told the press yesterday.

He said the hospital faced severe problems due to old infrastructure and buildings, narrow lanes and inadequate green areas. For instance, the buildings in which patients are admitted and treated stand alongside a very crowded, noisy street, and traffic jams on this street hamper medical staff from providing emergency medical care.

In order to tackle this problem, Siriraj has come up with a four-phase plan to build a new medical centre and improve existing infrastructure. Pakdeehan said 15 buildings in a 17-rai area need to be improved. The hospital stands on a 110-rai plot of land.

As part of the first phase, the hospital will build a medical centre and stop using three buildings that are about 50 years old, he said.

Pakdeehan went on to say that the hospital aimed to provide holistic medical service by bringing together more specialists. It will also coordinate and manage its resources more effectively so it can provide better service.

Siriraj has 2,400 beds and takes care of 87,000 in-patients and 3 million out-patients a year.