Thonburi Healthcare Group Plc (THG), the operator of Thonburi Hospital, aims to help solve the doctor shortage in Thailand by establishing an international medicine programme in cooperation with Assumption University.
The programme, operated by St Luke School of Medicine, which is being set up at the university, is scheduled to open in 2025 to support the government's efforts to produce more doctors in the country.
"We plan to admit 60 students a year. Prospective students from Thailand and countries such as Myanmar and China have shown an interest in applying for the programme," said Tanatip Suppradit, chief executive of THG.
There are 70,000 doctors in Thailand, which is considered low compared with the great number of patients. Thailand has fewer than one physician per 1,000 people, said Dr Tanatip.
The country also faces a brain drain problem, causing a drop in the number of medical professionals.
These problems are causing concern in the country's healthcare system as doctors and medical staff struggle to deal with high workload and burnout.
To prevent this situation from affecting healthcare services and compromising medical standards, Thailand needs to produce more doctors.
St Luke School of Medicine is strategically designed to close the existing gap in the healthcare workforce and reduce the physician shortage, aiming to improve the overall quality of healthcare in Thailand.
Dr Tanatip said the new medical school will synergise Assumption University's educational strengths with THG's medical network.
THG plans to establish a fund in order to grant scholarships worth 1.2 million baht per person for students who cannot afford the tuition fees.
Boon Vanasin, adviser to the chairman of THG, said the group will support the medical school with medical knowledge and help from its medical staff as well as make a connection with medical professionals overseas, especially in the US and China, to support the development of the new school.
The medical programme will be taught at Assumption University's Suvarnabhumi campus.
Students will spend their first three years learning at the university and another three years working with medical staff at partner hospitals, said Rev Bro Bancha Saenghiran, president of Assumption University.
One distinctive feature of the curriculum is integrating managerial science, including business administration, leadership and social responsibility, into the medical programme, he said.