Abstract

International Cooperation for Elderly Care between Kumamoto, Japan and Khon Kaen, Thailand

Shigeki Takemoto and Ratiorn Pornkuna

It’ll be essential to cooperate with foreigners during a rise in the percentage of the aged population in recent years, because of this unsustainable national medical emergency situation as well as problems of other industries in Japan. In November 2009, we made a contract for our sister hospitals between National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center and Khon Kaen Regional Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand. And we began to share our knowledge and experience with staff in kinds of medical fields each other to promote the mutually beneficial international cooperation initiatives. We tried to compare the medical issues between our aging countries and pave the way for elderly care in Thailand in the future to reveal. Because Thailand will face a critical situation in which the rate of aging is increasing rapidly. It’s necessary for Thailand to prepare for the super-aging population in the near future. From our experiences evaluation of health and social services for Thai elderly is not ready to face the situation of aging population. The health care system for elderly people should be required to reform soon.