Chonburi Hospital, in collaboration with Novo Nordisk Pharma (Thailand) Ltd. and the Royal Danish Embassy, Bangkok, organised a seminar on "How Comprehensive Care and Advocacy Efforts are Transforming the Haemophilia Landscape in Thailand” held on March 20, 2023, at Chonburi Hospital.
The seminar was honoured by Dr. Jirawan Arayapong, Director of Chonburi hospital, H.E. Mr. Jon Thorgaard, Ambassador of Denmark to Thailand, and Mr. Enrico Cañal Bruland, VP & General Manager Novo Nordisk Pharma Thailand.
The purpose of the seminar was to raise awareness and understanding as well as to provide encouragement to haemophilia patients, their families, and loved ones. The reality is that all haemophilia patients, whether children or adults, can live normal lives if they receive holistic care from multidisciplinary teams such as paediatric haematologists, haematologists, surgeons, rehabilitation physicians, nurses, physiotherapists and pharmacists, along with good adherence and compliance with their continuation of factor replacement treatment. It is also important for patients to learn appropriate practices for preventing bleeding. As a result, they can live a normal life like everyone else.
Denmark and Thailand collaborate in healthcare and aim to develop and improve care for haemophilia patients through holistic care and patient empowerment for self-administration of medication at home to increase efficiency and effectiveness of care.
Furthermore, the Thai government and Ministry of Public Health have recognised the importance of caring for and treating haemophilia patients. This could be considered a "blessing" for haemophilia patients in Thailand, as they can now receive financial assistance or reimbursement under universal coverage for their medical expenses related to haemophilia care, despite limited conditions.
Currently, haemophilia treatment centres and hospitals have developed processes to make medical care for haemophilia patients easier, more convenient, and faster. This is to improve access to treatment, and involves a team of doctors, nurses, and specialists who provide continuous care and treatment for patients. Additionally, new innovative treatments have been introduced to help patients in this group, further increasing the effectiveness of treatment.
However, it is still important for haemophilia patients to take care of themselves and follow self-care practices as it greatly impacts the outcome of treatment. Survey results in Thailand have shown that many haemophilia patients are still unable to self-administer medication, leading to inconsistency in receiving factor replacement therapy, and resulting in easy bleeding during daily activities. This can cause patients to feel afraid of engaging in normal daily activities.
Novo Nordisk Pharma (Thailand) Ltd. recognises the importance of empowering haemophilia patients with knowledge and understanding of the disease, as well as ability to self-administer. As a result, it has supported a training program for haemophilia patients at Chonburi Hospital. Facilitated by a team of specialist nurses, the program aims to enhance patients' understanding of their daily life practices and train patients and families how to do self-inject medication at home. The project is also part of a collaborative effort to transform Chonburi Hospital into a "Haemophilia Center of Excellence".