OrBorJor to help resuscitate abandoned hospital
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) plans to join with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to buy and renovate the abandoned Phya Thai Phuket Hospital on Soi Si Sena, just outside Phuket City.
Under the plan, the 190-room facility – providing both inpatient and outpatient services – would be reopened under the name Vachira Phuket Hospital 2.
The idea of making use of the abandoned hospital was approved by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra during a meeting at Phuket International Airport on August 25, 2004, Vachira Phuket Hospital Director Dr Jessada Chungpaibulpatana told the Gazette today.
He said that the MoPH had not acted on the plan, however, despite several requests by Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura and Vachira Phuket Hospital that it do so.
Now, however, the OrBorJor and the MoPH have finally agreed in principal to split the cost of buying and renovating the facility.
Dr Jessada explained that the hospital is currently a government asset under the control of the Thai Asset Management Corporation (TAMC), with a listed sale price of about 492 million baht.
“The price has increased from last year’s figure of about 315 million baht. But we believe that, working together, the OrBorJor and the Ministry should be able to negotiate a lower price,” he said.
The doctor added that, since the purchase would by law have to be made in the name of a single organization, one scheme the partners are considering is to have the OrBorJor make the initial purchase and then transfer ownership to the MoPH, which would pay for the renovation work.
Dr Jessada said that he expects a decision on this to be reached on February 8. The OrBorJor has targeted the end of February as its deadline for the purchase.
