THAILAND – Huawei and Thailand’s Department of Medical Services (DMS) have signed an agreement to collaborate on 5G-enabled healthcare to establish a smart platform that will facilitate advanced medical treatments in the digital age.

Huawei and the DMS will use 5G to launch smart healthcare initiatives involving the nation’s National Cancer Institute and Rajavithi Hospital.

In cooperation with the two hospitals, Huawei will provide 5G technology that aims to increase the efficiency of medical services.

It will also provide hospital staff with digital knowledge transfer, training, and project supervision to enable them to operate efficiently for the benefit of both medical staff and patients.

From the outset, the 5G technology will be used for telemedicine solutions involving patients remote monitoring and diagnosis to minimize the risk of transmitting infections between doctor and patients.

5G opens up completely new possibilities for telehealth, the technology that allows patients to communicate virtually with doctors and other healthcare providers via real-time video or live chat.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made people realize the advantages of telemedicine and reduce the risk of spreading the virus when visiting the hospital.

According to Market Research Future’s pre-COVID-19 study, the telehealth market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.5 percent from 2017 to 2023, in tandem with the emergence and rollout of 5G.

 It is assumed that there will be higher growth rates now. Improved network speeds and care quality will enable doctors to interact remotely with patients at home or in field hospitals without fear of network outages, disconnections, or lag time.

Telemedicine provides a platform where people can get help from skilled specialists to local hospitals. Patients can stay at home and get prescriptions through the Internet.

In addition, the technology will improve emergency care services that depend on real time information such as patients’ vital signs, real time location, and video images to be transmitted instantly.

Such vital information will be crucial for guiding doctors to provide the best emergency care and the hospital team to be best prepared for treatment or surgery upon arrival.

Even more, critical healthcare services for chronically ill or quarantined patients can be delivered over a wireless network, since 5G allows the provider to visit them via natural-feeling telepresence systems.

Because of the capabilities of the technology itself, potential use cases, and its ability to catalyze a chain reaction of digital transformation, 5G has generated a lot of buzz.

Those in the healthcare industry believe that 5G and the hype surrounding it will aid in the development, adoption, and implementation of new technologies and solutions.

With the advent of 5G, it may mean the difference between life and death for many people.

“The MoU is a milestone that brings advanced technologies to medical care, increasing the level and standards of hospital services and improving operational efficiency,” said Dr. Somsak Akksilp, director-general of the DMS.

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