ASEAN and Medicine

How much did you know about ASEAN? The Association of

Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established by connectivity of

Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand in 1967. Purpose

of ASEAN are speeding up social, culture, economic growth and supporting

stability and regional peace. Aggregation of these countries is called

ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) formed in 2015 who work together for

benefit of economic. Moreover, ASEAN also supports other factor needed

for life such as medicine. Medical resources are very important now a day

because there are various diseases such as injuries and chronic diseases

which is cause of highest death so many patients need high technologies

or high knowledge to treat. There are equipment, systems, location, and

personnel. Especially, medical devices are the main factor that influence

healthcare quality. However, in many countries still lack of medical

resources. Those resources are limited mainly medical device and

personnel. Also, distribution of them do not support good healthcare.

ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will improve ASEAN medical quality

healthcare by connection, high medical devices, and system.

The training program is aimed at high-level ASEAN medical

device regulators, responded to ASEAN medical device training by

Michael Flood who is a former senior in Therapeutic Goods Administration

of Australia having working experience about medical devices more than

30 years (ASEAN Secretariat News, 2013). ASEAN or AEC develop medical

technologies. ASEAN Medical Device Directive (AMDD) sets countries

(members of ASEAN) to keep medical device being standard. It also

arranges medical devices in a uniform system. Moreover, some countries

in ASEAN have limited resources, especially the country that do not

organize most of their devices by themselves so they need to import

those devices. For the example, thai-aec website points out that Thailand

which is a member in ASEAN did not produced various medical devices

much as some other countries. In Pacific and Asia region, medical market

might touch US$43 billion for next few year which is good for Thai

industry. However, according to journal named The Medical & Healthcare

Industry in ASEAN, 87 percent of medical devices such equipment and

others in Thailand are come from other countries (The Medical &

Healthcare Industry in ASEAN, n.d.). So, good connection of AMDD will

support importing of high medical devices and technologies into the

country.

ASEAN Federation of Medical Device Industry contributes

exchanging or sharing medical information and experience between

countries, knowing that AEC has a purpose for making good connection

between many countries in Asia. ASEAN Federation of Medical Device

Industry website supports that ASEAN Federation of Medical Device

Industry will improve ASEAN Federation of Medical Device Industry by

assembling and training professionals following agreement supplies.

ASEAN Federation of Medical Device Industry is also a good way for

exchanging information, knowledges, experiences between its members

and advances shared views headed for relevant authorities. Especially,

the system leads patients to have more choices on choosing medical and
surgical options (ASEAN Federation of Medical Device Industry, n.d.). It

actually decreases diseases as well as health problems in the country and

positively effect on healthcare budgets since saving complication cost, re-

admission cost, and long term admission cost. In addition, it welcomes

medical tools and others from other countries to be involved in advance

growth of industry.

ASEANMed or ASEAN Federation of Medical Device Industry

covers 7 trade associations which are from members in ASEAN. It is

cooperation formed for working party in ASEAN and growth of medical

devices industry by sharing. For example, Thai Medical Device Technology

Industry Association (THAIMED) is an association of Thailand and

Association of Medical Device Industry (AMDI) is an association of

Singapore. ASEAN Federation of Medical Device Industry states that

THAIMED confirms standard a quality of medical devices which

advantages Thai healthcare even it is hard to get many parties to work

together as a united. AMDI acts as representative of medical industry in

Singapore. It provides great industry standards within commerce by

supplying credible stage for medical device industry. ASEANMed can lead

various associations to combine together and improve ASEAN healthcare.

Thailand is nearly top center of medical of Asia. There are above

1 thousand public and 4 hundreds private hospitals in the country.

Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council and Singapore Tourism Board showed

that Thailand is a leader in ASEAN medical tourism through having about

2.5 million patients per year were foreign patients. It led Thailand to have
more chances in investment for modern medical equipment which

succeed in Thailand such as artificial blood vessels, orthopedic and

implant devices, rehabilitation equipment, disposable test kits, and

neurosurgical devices. There are a lot of patient cases in Thailand. For

example, patients with type 2 diabetes have more chances to have

Coronary artery disease. According to Journal of Health Research, there

are high active C - reactive protein or CRP and cholesterol (not HDL) are

Coronary artery disease index. The study case of relationship between this

protein and Coronary artery disease was tested on 123 patients with type

2 diabetes (35 males and 88 females). Then, the result showed that CRP

and cholesterol (not HDL) levels in patients with type 2 diabetes are

higher than others. The study benefits for disease prediction and using in

the future study. The study of discover of new thing can be shared and

exchanged between countries which will improve all healthcare to high

level.

ASEAN medical can be developed by ASEAN Economic

Community system improving and fixing problem of incomplete resources.

AEC advances technologies especially medical devices and industry since

there are more good connection and exchanging. Sharing information and

experiences about medical knowledge is created when many nation

combined working together. These factors lead ASEAN medical system

and professional have more skills from medical projects and studies.

Therefore, ASEAN is benefit in medical system in each countries.

References

(n.d.). The Medical & Healthcare, 3-5.

AEC. (2014, May 11). Retrieved from thai-aec: http://www.thai-
aec.com/957#more-957
AEC. (2014, February 14). Retrieved from thai-aec: http://www.thai-aec.com/731
ASEAN Medical Device Regulations. (2016, January 1). Retrieved from Pacific
Bridge Medical: http://www.pacificbridgemedical.com/regulation/asean-
medical-device-regulations/
ASEAN Secretariat News. (2013, May 2). Retrieved from Association of Southeast
Asian Nation: http://asean.org/improving-asean-healthcare-through-
medical-device-regulation-harmonization/
Insight, S. (2015, January 8). Retrieved from bangkokbiznews:
http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/blog/detail/627320
Panisa Getngern, P. C. (2011). Journal of Health Research. 189-194.
The Medical & Healthcare Industry in ASEAN. (n.d.). pp. 2-3.
The Medical Device Industry. (n.d.). Retrieved from ASEAN Federation of Medical
Device Industry: http://www.aseanmed.org/?page=about-us#Table_01