Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital is Ready to Push Forward Smart Hospital by Cooperation with Institute of FIeld roBOtics (FIBO) and Supreme-HITERA Co., Ltd.

06/07/2018
Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital is Ready to Push Forward Smart Hospital by Cooperation with Institute of FIeld roBOtics (FIBO) and Supreme-HITERA Co., Ltd.
to make innovation development to become “Siriraj 4.0”

          Healthcare is one of the ideas of Thailand 4.0 policy which is initiated by Thai Government. The idea consists of the development of healthcare industry, innovation and medical machines for new industry in the future, and implementation of technology for public healthcare service. To become “Smart Health” or “Smart Hospital” requires cooperation from various entities concerned.   

          Over the past three years, Institute of FIeld roBOtics (FIBO) at King’s Mongkut’s University of Technologu Thonburi has been cooperating with Supreme-HITERA Co., Ltd. to study and develop pharmacy robot. The pharmacy robot benefits in increasing speed of dispensing and decreasing waiting time for dispensing, as well as decreasing errors and workloads for officer. In addition, the Center of Excellence for Life Science (Public Organization) (TCELS) under supervision of Ministry of Science and Technology has been supporting in preliminary development and coordination. Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital envisions the benefits of robot and the pharmacy system which will be one of the ideas to make innovation development for hospital to become “Siriraj 4.0”. This brings about the Memoradum of Understandings (MOU) among the aforementioned four (4) entities so that the way forward to “Smart Hospital” will be in practice

          Prof. Dr. Prasit Watthanapa MD., dean of Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital reveals “After government announced the Thailand Digital Plan or Thailand 4.0 policy, where the digital technology will be implemented for development of basic infrastructure, innovation, data and human resources, whereby all of which aims to drive Thailand’s economic and social development toward security, prosperity and sustainability. Various entities have been creating multiple changes in policies and contexts. Siriraj Hospital realizes the important of Thailand 4.0 policy. In this connection, policies for the development of services have been implemented so that the hospital will become “Siriraj 4.0”. Today cooperation will, as a whole, help develop Siriraj’s automatic pharmacy system as well as increase efficiency of pharmacist, where we are in shortage of resources.  The installation and development of total automatic pharmacy robot will be one of the developments according to the said policies as well.”  

          Dr. Sirasak Tepakum, deputy director of Center of Excellence for Life Science (Public Organization) (TCELS) under supervision of Ministry of Science and Technology reveals “TCELS has the mission to promote and encourage creation of knowledge, research and development for products, services and life science innovation in order to create value in business and industry. When Supreme-HITERA Co., Ltd. proposed the idea to develop automatic pharmacy system to TCELS, we found that if it could be developed to be practical used, and there would be definitely benefit for healthcare system as a whole. As a result, we later made contact to Institute of FIeld roBOtics (FIBO) of King’s Mongkut’s University of Technologu Thonburi to help develop the automatic pharmacy robot. We participated in the development of B-Hive 1 from preliminary stage until success. And after Siriraj Hospital shares the mutual idea to implement the automatic pharmacy robot for making dispensing in Hospital, TCELS has been participating with Siriraj, FIBO and Supreme-HITERA Co., Ltd. to develop “automatic pharmacy robot” to become “total automatic pharmacy robot”.     After this, TCELS will help coordinate with other entities to make sure that the cooperation will lead to practical success.”          

          Assoc. Prof. Dr. Siam Charoenseang, director of Institute of FIeld roBOtics (FIBO) at King’s Mongkut’s University of Technologu Thonburi reveals “FIBO have been developing automatic pharmacy robot for almost two (2) years. At the first stage, we succeeded in creating the prototype B Hive 1 in 2015.     That was Thailand researcher great honor to be able to develop technology from initiative of private sector or industry or society. We have been developing our prototype to be what we called “total automatic pharmacy robot”, which it will be firstly installed and used in Siriraj Hospital for usability evaluation and related further development.”

          Mr. Kamthorn Kanchanawatee, managing director of Supreme-HITERA Co., Ltd. reveals the idea that “With 35 years’ experience in medical equipment, our company noticed that implementing Bot or robot as one of the ways to providing services in hospital would somehow help decrease waiting time for dispensing and human errors. Therefore, we proposed the idea to TCELS and after that we had collaborated with the Institute of FIeld roBOtics (FIBO) at King’s Mongkut’s University of Technologu Thonburi in order to develop “the total automatic pharmacy robot”. And it finally success by Thai researcher and developer for first time here in Thailand.

          Advancement of development and creation of modern medical equipment by Thai people to be on the world standard level requires cooperation from researchers and specializes. Acknowledge has been conferred to various entities namely TCELS, FIBO and Siriraj Hospital to make happen of today cooperation.”

          The signing of MOU by four (4) organization to become “Siriraj 4.0” among Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital of Mahidol University, the Center of Excellence for Life Science (Public Organization) (TCELS) under supervision of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of FIeld roBOtics (FIBO) at King’s Mongkut’s University of Technologu Thonburi and Supreme-HITERA Co., Ltd. will create cooperation in policy level and be the first step to push forward “Smart Hospital” in Siriraj Hospital. In this regard, under this MOU, comes the installation and development of total automatic pharmacy robot, whereby Siriraj Hospital and Supreme-HITERA Co., Ltd. will sign another MOU with the objective to install and mutually develop the total automatic pharmacy robot.     

          Asst. Prof. Visit Vamvanij MD., director of Siriraj Hospital reveals “Recently, number of patients come to use services at Siriraj Hospital has been increasing. The installation and development of total automatic pharmacy robot will be the hospital new step, where we bring new technology to help decrease various problems and make convenience for patient. This will help enhance Siriraj Hospital’s efficiency in providing services to patients. Today, after Siriraj Hospital and Supreme-HITERA Co., Ltd. sign the MOU to install and develop the total automatic pharmacy robot, the creation and installation will kick start. The test and evaluation of the robot will be made for approximately 6-8 months and will be practically used around the end of 2017. The total automatic pharmacy robot will directly receive prescription from physician via computer system and will correctly dispense in a short time. 95% of prescription will be completed in 15 minutes during the rush hour and the medicine dispensing by the robot will be delivered to pharmacist via the conveyor. ”  

          Thailand 4.0 policy will lead to cooperation among public, educational and private sector in the form of civil state. In which being the real drive for economic and social development of Thailand. 
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