Tech firms unite to help battle virus

Tech firms unite to help battle virus

TECH
Tech firms unite to help battle virus
A screen capture of a virtual conference as 36 tech organisations pledge to provide digital solutions to Bangkok's field hospitals.

Some 36 tech organisations, in coordination with the Digital Council of Thailand (DCT) and the Medical Council of Thailand (TMC), have vowed to provide digital solutions and infrastructure for three pilot field hospitals as they join the effort to fight the pandemic.

They participated in a virtual press conference yesterday, organised by the DCT, to announce their support.

High-speed communication networks, artificial intelligence technology for diagnosis, robotics, telehealth and remote monitoring are among technologies they aim to deploy at the three field hospitals arranged by Chulalongkorn University, the Royal Thai Air Force and Thammasat University.

Major participating firms include Microsoft Thailand, Huawei Technology Thailand, Oracle Corporation Thailand, Ericsson Thailand and Amazon Web Services Thailand, as well as local telecom operators Advanced Info Service, Total Access Communication, True Corp and National Telecom.

A slew of startups and associations, ranging from internet and cloud services to software, cable TV and digital content, have also joined the effort.

"Digital technology can play an immense role in dealing with the third wave of the pandemic," said DCT president Suphachai Chearavanont.

The use of technologies will help minimise infection risk among medical personnel, support communication between field hospitals and ease the impact of the crisis, he said.

"Thailand has a range of organisations with digital technology expertise and solutions capability," said Mr Suphachai.

"The DCT, as the representative of operators in the digital industry, is ready to coordinate using digital technology for optimal benefit, helping the country to weather this crisis."

Their assistance focuses on "Smart Field Hospital" solutions specifically designed for field hospitals during the pandemic.

They comprise of smart devices, patient monitoring and recording systems, scheduling and communication systems, information and content sharing systems, environment and facility monitoring systems, as well as digital infrastructure.

"We plan to expand this collaboration for vaccination services to assist the government," said Mr Suphachai.

TMC secretary-general Ittaporn Kanacharoen said a shortage of medical staff at field hospitals could make technologies a necessity to care for the rising number of patients as well as streamline operations.

He said technologies used for medical treatment could become the prevailing trend for the industry in the future.

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