PATTAYA, Thailand – The Ministry of Public Health has reported major progress in Thailand’s digital health policy, with more than 10,000 service units now connected to the national Personal Health Record (PHR) system. The platform contains records for over 64.7 million patients, while more than one million electronic referrals and nearly 1.7 million radiographic images have been processed through linked digital systems.
Permanent Secretary Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said the MOPH Digital Health Platform is designed to integrate data across service units and ease workloads for both patients and medical personnel. Currently, 10,628 facilities are connected to the PHR system, 2,824 facilities utilize the MOPH REFER system for patient transfers, and 589 facilities share images through the MOPH Imaging Hub.
In 2026, the ministry plans to expand its use of digital tools and artificial intelligence. Agreements with five universities will support broader data integration, while new services will include digital maternal and child health records, caregiver IDs for children under seven and displaced individuals, and IoT connections for home-based patient care. AI applications are also being developed for chest X-ray interpretation, automatic patient history summaries, and chatbot health guidance.
The ministry is also advancing digital training for healthcare workers through the MOPH Academy and supporting the rollout of Smart Hospitals operated under strict data governance standards. These efforts aim to enhance the capacity of medical personnel while modernizing healthcare facilities nationwide.
Officials said integrating innovation, technology, and human skills will streamline services, improve access to care, and strengthen Thailand’s public health system as it adapts to the digital era. (NNT)
