In a large luxury hotel like lobby, Bangkok Hospital officially opened its doors to mental patients for the first time friday the 1st of August. The new psychiatric ward is called The Bangkok Mental Health and Recovery Center (BMRC) and will provide treatment for up to 7 inpatients at a time. In addition the facility will be treating a larger quantity of outpatients.
Even though the doors are locked and secured, there is no community showers or smell of canteen food at the BMRC. Patients wear their own clothes, cooks food and do yoga together. This is a part of an effort to provide a more wholesome treatment. Director of BMRC dr. Apisamai Srirangson explains.
“We would like to focus on the patients potential instead of the disease and symptoms. Our goal is recovery rather than symptom treatment”
A high number of expat patients
With treatments strongly influenced by modern ideas the new psych ward aims to attract expatriate patients. Claus Padkær, head of Bangkok Hospitals international marketing department, expects around 50% of the patients to be foreigners.
But BMRC is not likely to be covered by your standard insurance. With daily costs as high as 19000 THB, the treatment will only be covered by what the marketing department refers to as: “A significant minority of insurance policies, like expatriates on corporate contracts with a cadillac-class coverage.”
That’s fantastic! The new psychiatric ward hopes to attract expatriate patients with therapies that are heavily influenced by modern thinking. Thank you very much.