“Ministry of Public Health” Opens “InterCare Asia 2020” To build Academic-International Innovative Network For Promoting Thailand as ASEAN’s Model Medical Hub for Elderly Car

Head Advisor to the Minister of Public Health opens the 5th “InterCare Asia 2020”, the trade show of complete products and innovations on health and living of elderly, and revealed that it will be an international stage for building academic and innovative network for elderly in order to promote Thailand as the medical hub and model country for elderly care of ASEAN. The host indicates that elderly market will have bright future in long-term with value of 107,000 million baht and over per year. This event will show several advanced technologies consisted of over 100 booths of elderly products and services causing the host believe that over 500 million baht will be spent in this event.

Dr. ML. Somchai Chakkrapan, Head Advisor to the Minister of Public Health said after the opening ceremony of InterCare Asia 2020 that, in 2020, Thailand has over 12 million populations with the age of 60 years and over calculated to be around 18% of total populations and this percentage will be increased to reach 20% in 2021. Consequently, Thailand is completely considered as aging society. Since Thai government realizes on such importance, Thai government defines “aging society” as a national agenda in order to prepare Thailand to deal with “complete aging society” and to make all sectors realize on importance of such preparation to become aging qualitatively. The Ministry of Public Health performed integration with related agencies to drive operation, establish direction and goal for making people in working age realize on importance of preparation for aging in order to become elderly persons who can look after themselves in daily life with good quality of life as well as making people in Thai society to consider elderly persons as potential persons. InterCare 2020 is considered as preparation of all sectors for dealing with aging society in the future as well as development of technologies, innovations, and knowledge for providing good services to public. Moreover, the Ministry of Public Health also aims to upgrade Thailand as the ASEAN’s medical and innovative hub for elderly by driving ASEAN’s member countries to establish ASEAN Centre for Active Ageing and Innovation (ACAI) that is the center for developing knowledge, supporting researches, promoting innovations, and creating medical database of ASEAN leading to policy establishment and guidelines for mutual development of member countries. 

“For InterCare Asia 2020, the Ministry of Public Health considers that this event could become a stage to build academic network among domestic and international agencies as well as generate perception on Thailand’s roles for promoting Thailand as the medical hub concretely. In this event, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Public Health, cooperates with Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat Univresity, and NSTDA to hold some seminars for providing knowledge on health care and medicine for elderly, for example, direction of health innovations for elderly persons from hospitals to communities” Head Advisor to the Minister of Public Health said. 

Mr. Sakchai Pattarapreechakul, the Managing Director of N.C.C. Exhibition Organization Company Limited revealed that it could be considered that elderly market has high potential with demands covering several businesses based on Thailand’s situation which the number of elderly persons increases continuously. Entrepreneurs start to focus on elderly market increasingly in order to respond demands in long-term. Consequently, the value of elderly market reaches 107,000 million baht per year. Therefore, the 5th InterCare Asia 2020, the trade show of complete products and innovations on health and living of elderly, will be held during October 15th – 17th, 2020, at Hall 101, Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC). This event will gather quality and internationally accepted elderly products and services as well as transfer knowledge from government and private sectors in order to build academic network and business network for giving new opportunities to entrepreneurs. During this event, it is estimated that 500 million baht will be spent in this event and after this event. 

In this event, there will be many interesting activities including free health check-up programs from Samrong Medical Hospital and CGH Hospital, trade fair of Smart Life Products for Elderly People, innovations or technologies for improving quality of life of elderly persons, for example, Dinsow AI Nose launching, the world’s first innovation for screening cancer through breath with accuracy of 93% helping to check breast cancer and lung cancer that is manufactured by a Thai company, CT Asia Robotics, and “Genie”, a robot from TA ROBOT that will be demonstrated in facilitating elderly persons, Smart Home devices for home convenience from Hafele with simulation of toilets that are suitable for elderly persons, toilet door technology for wheel chair users, anti-bacteria door handles, various models of support devices, and furniture for elderly, home loan for elderly persons from Government Housing Bank and activities from OPPY Club, technology courses for elderly persons, for example, YouTube, social media. In addition, this event also presented various kinds of elderly products, for example, soft food from SOFT spoon, beds for patients or persons with problem on bedsore from APEX, ready-to-eat boiled egg white bar from Eighty Eight, etc. 

Miss Kanokporn Damrongkul, the Director of Exhibition and Event Department, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB said that, during COVID-19 situation, TCEB established a Re- Energizing Exhibition campaign to promote convention and exhibition under “New Norm” through technology tools program, for example, Virtual Meeting Space, in order to connect this event with online community and support entrepreneurs with online convention and exhibition platform for generating new experience of event participation via online and offline efficiently. In 2020, TCEB will apply such policy to promote conventions and exhibitions as well as InterCare Asia 2020 that has been supported by TCEB for 5 consecutive years. Since Thailand is becoming aging society completely, development and improvement of quality of life of elderly persons is considered as the important factor for industrial sector in driving Thailand’s economy in the future. 

Mr. Chartchai Panitcheewa, the Vice President of the Federation of Thai Industries or FTI, said that InterCare Asia 2020 is considered as an important stage allowing entrepreneurs to show their potential in manufacturing products for responding to elderly market and add business value through meeting new business partners for responding to demands of this market in the future. Consequently, FTI supports this event by publicizing this event to over 11,000 members and inviting members that are medical equipment and health industries as well as supplementary industry to hold their booths in this event under the pavilion of Federation of Thai Industries. Moreover, FTI also presents new innovations in this event, for example, “Phan”, the electric Tuk Tuk that is designed with lower floor for convenience of elderly persons and persons using wheelchairs, etc. 

InterCare Asia 2020 will be held during October 15th – 17th, 2020, at Hall 101, Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC). For more information, please visit: http://intercare-asia.com/