Bangkok City Hall has launched its BMA Doctor mobile application for providing telemedicine services. The new app provides Bangkok residents with easier access to medical care amid spiking coronavirus infections.
Developed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and Kasikorn Bank, BMA Doctor offers users virtual doctor visits and allows them to seek emergency assistance from the Bangkok Emergency Medical Center (Erawan).
Users can use the app to schedule a doctor’s appointment in advance, check waiting queues, billing, health coverage, and even register for follow-up checks.
The new app can service COVID patients as well as patients of other emerging diseases. Services at this initial stage are only linked to Klang Hospital, but will be expanded to 11 more city-run hospitals within this month.
Even before the pandemic era, there has been a rising demand for telemedicine to save time and costs, as well as to relieve the burdens of healthcare workers. For example, Raksa App, available on both Android and IOS phones, allows patients to enter their medical information, and then consult with their choices of over 600 board-certified physicians who can best evaluate their conditions and recommend which medicine to take and in what dosage and duration, or what other follow-up steps to take. The cost starts from 200 baht for a 15-minute consultation. Next, ChiiWii App provides physical and mental health advice for women, mothers, and children. It’s another non-free service app with several packages to choose from. See Doctor Now is another interesting doctor-consulting app that offers an annual subscription of 2,990 baht with unlimited online visits. It’s perfect for those with mild health concerns.
The mobile-based medical service in Thailand was said to have estimated total spending of 300-400 million baht according to Kasikorn Research Center in 2021. The industry is expected to grow by 10-12% over the next 3-5 years.