Local startups have joined hands to help in the fight against Covid-19 by using digital technology to help streamline work processes at field hospitals and support a queue management system for vaccinations.
"Local tech startups can play a role in overcoming this health crisis if they are granted the opportunity to test systems," Rungsun Promprasith, chief executive of QueQ, a queue management mobile application, told the Bangkok Post.
QueQ plans to test its new feature called "Vaccine Queuing Management" at Banglamung Hospital in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district next week. Currently, it is in the process of seeking permission from authorities to test its feature with the Mor Prom system designed for Covid-19 vaccination registrations and bookings.
In other countries, people waiting to receive a vaccine have to queue anywhere from 45 minutes to 2-3 hours before inoculation.
The pain point is that people may have to hang around vaccination sites for as long as 2-3 hours throughout the process.
If QueQ app is used, people can spend less than one hour at the site which helps support social distancing practices, he said.
Mr Rungsun added that QueQ is expected to be used at 30 vaccination sites through its collaboration between state agencies and the private sector.
"If the system works well, it can be leveraged in other countries that have to deal with the same pain points."
Some startups have joined hands with the Digital Council of Thailand (DCT) to provide support to field hospitals catering to Covid-19 patients.
They are part of the community called Pedthaisupai ('Thai ducks fight danger'), which has lent a helping hand in the fight against the pandemic since the first wave.
At least four startups have joined forces to support automated workflows at a field hospital managed by Chulalongkorn University.
Meanwhile, apartment management system provider Horganice has arranged a bed booking system at the facility. Patients can self-report their symptoms through input fields and communicate with nurses through the Aiya system.
All necessary data will be stored using the Wisible system, which can track the status of patients throughout the process at the facility.
Additionally, dashboards attached to the field hospital's management system and provided by YDM Thailand also shows how many patients come in and out of the facility per day, medical records of patients and the number of patients based on their treatment period.
"We have combined the strength of each startup and spent two weeks deploying technology at Chula Field Hospital," said Mr Rungsun. "We plan to roll it out at Banglamung Hospital and Thammasat Field Hospital."
He said the system needs financial assistance through means such as sponsorship by DCT and crowdfunding through Taejai.com