Siriraj Hospital will provide free joint replacement surgery for underprivileged people in Lumbini, Nepal.
According to Apichart Asavamongkolkul, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, the project, named The Buddha's First Step, is part of a hospital corporate social responsibility project called Love for Humanity.
It is expected to contribute to a charity fund started by His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and the late king, King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great. It was supported by many influential figures in Buddhism, added Dr Apichart.
Lumbini is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Maya gave birth to the Buddha around 566 BCE. It is now considered a Buddhist pilgrimage city.
Dr Apichart said 35 members of the Department of Orthopaedics, including surgeons and nurses, will travel to Lumbini to provide the underprivileged with knee replacements at Siddhartha Hospital.
Patients will receive the most modern surgical methods that not only leave a small wound but also enable them to return to work the first day after surgery.
Siriraj Hospital also hosted a forum to exchange knowledge with Siddhartha Hospital regarding modern orthopaedic know-how. This included advances in spinal injury care and physical malformations in children, said Dr Apichart.
Since it opened 135 years ago, Siriraj Hospital has developed treatment methods, supported medical research, pioneered medical innovations, and provided the latest medical technology for not only Thai patients but also those in need around the world.
"We abide by the motto of Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla, considered the father of modern Thai medicine, which says that true success lies not in learning but in its application for the benefit of mankind," said Dr Apichart.