Dr. Yongjue Laosirithavorn, Director of the Department of General Communicable Diseases at the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, said a modern health surveillance system is essential because, under the Communicable Disease Act B.E. 2558 (2015), healthcare facilities report diseases in various formats that can take up to seven days, which is too slow during severe outbreaks.
Therefore, the Department of Disease Control developed the Disease and Health Hazard Surveillance Information System project, supported by the Broadcasting, Television and Telecommunications Research and Development Fund for Public Interest (NBTC Fund).
This system directly connects healthcare facility databases through Application Programming Interface (API) to a central platform in real time, reducing staff burdens in data collection and entry, minimizing redundant report file submissions, and importantly providing complete and rapid data to analyze and detect outbreaks early—enabling timely prevention and response.
Simultaneously, this system links healthcare facility databases directly via API to a central real-time platform, reducing staff workload in data collection and entry, as well as minimizing duplicated report file submissions, resulting in complete and fast data that can be analyzed for timely outbreak detection under the concept of early knowledge, prevention, and prompt response.
Currently, the project is piloting in five hospitals nationwide: Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute, Vachira Phuket Hospital, Udon Thani Hospital, Sri Maha Bodhi Hospital, and Hat Yai Hospital. It links diverse Hospital Information Systems (HIS) using a single standard. Collecting data from multiple facilities is challenging but marks a vital step toward a national health data infrastructure where all agencies can safely share standardized health data throughout the country.
Dr. Yongjue explained that data collection under the Communicable Disease Act B.E. 2558 follows exemptions under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) for public health and accurate disease control investigations, such as collecting names and addresses to precisely control outbreaks. However, the Department of Disease Control maintains the highest security standards, employing cybersecurity systems with firewalls to prevent malware and unauthorized access, as well as storing data on highly secure cloud systems.
Next, the Department plans to develop a mobile application to send notifications to citizens based on their residence, tourist areas, or workplaces to alert them about disease outbreaks or health risks, along with guidance on protective measures—eliminating the need for people to check dashboards themselves.
“Support from the NBTC Fund marks a strong start in developing an interconnected, real-time accessible health system, enabling Thailand to confidently handle all forms of disease outbreaks and health hazards,” he said.
Serving Deliciousness: The Sahapat Group, through Sah Ocha Company Limited, continues to expand its food business portfolio via strategic cooperation with Reins International of Japan, part of the Colowide group, a global leader in restaurant business. Under a joint venture, they aim to elevate and expand Japanese dining in Thailand. Recently, they launched a new Yakiniku Gyukaku branch at KINGSQUARE Community Mall in the heart of Rama 3, upgrading the menu with premium authentic Japanese grilled meat, reinforcing the potential of the Japanese food market in Thailand.
For the People Mr. Patthana Prompattanakit, Minister of Public Health, presided over the workshop on driving the "Doctors Not Tired, People Not Waiting" policy, connecting all services through technology. Also attending were Dr. Somrak Jongsaman, Permanent Secretary of Public Health, and Mr. Chettha Mosikorn, Governor of Nonthaburi Province. They launched the Mor Prom Super App, a digital public health platform consolidating all Ministry of Public Health services into one app, enabling Thai people easy, fast, and secure access to health information, public health services, and appointments via smartphones. Dr. Teeradej Damrongplasit, Chief Corporate Business Executive of True Corporation Public Company Limited, joined as a private sector partner committed to improving Thai health and reducing disease risks, which will concretely lessen workloads for doctors and medical personnel.