CHILDREN OF CARDIAC PATIENTS IN THAILAND
Analysis of the Current Situation of Pediatric Heart Disease Patients in Thailand
This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Foundation for the Support of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, established in 1998. Her Royal Highness Suprachada Kasem San was the first president, and Pol. Gen. Sneh Sitthipand was the vice president. At its inception, the situation was dire: a large number of children with congenital heart defects faced a 2-3 year wait for surgery in public hospitals. Approximately 3,000 children were on the official waiting list, with tens of thousands more unlisted, many of whom suffered complications or death while awaiting treatment.
Since then, significant progress has been made:
1. Non-complex heart defects (approximately 80% of cases, including ASD, VSD, TOF, PDA):
1.1. Waiting times in central public hospitals (receiving referrals from provinces) have decreased to less than 3 months.
1.2. Waiting times in regional public hospitals remain substantial, exceeding one year in some locations.
1.3. A critical shortage exists for infants (under 6 months) requiring ventilators in pediatric ICUs nationwide. These infants need immediate surgery to wean off ventilators; this shortage stems from insufficient pediatric cardiac ICUs (lacking both infrastructure and nursing staff).
2. Complex heart defects (approximately 20% of cases): These require highly specialized surgical teams and are limited to no more than 6 fully equipped hospitals nationwide. The waiting list at Rajavithi Hospital, a major referral center, is approximately 6 months.
2.1. A critical shortage of pediatric cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and other specialists exists due to the demanding nature of the work and the high skill level required. Surgeries can last 6-10 hours.
2.2. Some patients require multiple surgeries. As more children survive, the number of adults with grown-up congenital heart disease (GUCHD) increases, requiring specialized care and further exacerbating the shortage of skilled professionals.
Key Recent Projects:
1. Project to perform 840 pediatric heart surgeries in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand (May 2015 – August 2017): A total of 852 surgeries were successfully performed.
2. Project to perform 99 pediatric heart surgeries in Bhutan in honor of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej: The Foundation secured funding for the surgeries, while Bhutan covered travel and accommodation. Medical teams from both countries collaborated on patient selection and scheduling. Based on Bhutan’s 2013 population of 760,000 and a 2% birth rate, approximately 122 of the 15,200 newborns annually require cardiac surgery. As of today, 42 surgeries have been completed, and fundraising continues until the 99 surgeries are finished.
This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Foundation for the Support of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, established in 1998. Her Royal Highness Suprachada Kasem San was the first president, and Pol. Gen. Sneh Sitthipand was the vice president. At its inception, the situation was dire: a large number of children with congenital heart defects faced a 2-3 year wait for surgery in public hospitals. Approximately 3,000 children were on the official waiting list, with tens of thousands more unlisted, many of whom suffered complications or death while awaiting treatment.
Since then, significant progress has been made:
1. Non-complex heart defects (approximately 80% of cases, including ASD, VSD, TOF, PDA):
1.1. Waiting times in central public hospitals (receiving referrals from provinces) have decreased to less than 3 months.
1.2. Waiting times in regional public hospitals remain substantial, exceeding one year in some locations.
1.3. A critical shortage exists for infants (under 6 months) requiring ventilators in pediatric ICUs nationwide. These infants need immediate surgery to wean off ventilators; this shortage stems from insufficient pediatric cardiac ICUs (lacking both infrastructure and nursing staff).
2. Complex heart defects (approximately 20% of cases): These require highly specialized surgical teams and are limited to no more than 6 fully equipped hospitals nationwide. The waiting list at Rajavithi Hospital, a major referral center, is approximately 6 months.
2.1. A critical shortage of pediatric cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and other specialists exists due to the demanding nature of the work and the high skill level required. Surgeries can last 6-10 hours.
2.2. Some patients require multiple surgeries. As more children survive, the number of adults with grown-up congenital heart disease (GUCHD) increases, requiring specialized care and further exacerbating the shortage of skilled professionals.
Key Recent Projects:
1. Project to perform 840 pediatric heart surgeries in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand (May 2015 – August 2017): A total of 852 surgeries were successfully performed.
2. Project to perform 99 pediatric heart surgeries in Bhutan in honor of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej: The Foundation secured funding for the surgeries, while Bhutan covered travel and accommodation. Medical teams from both countries collaborated on patient selection and scheduling. Based on Bhutan’s 2013 population of 760,000 and a 2% birth rate, approximately 122 of the 15,200 newborns annually require cardiac surgery. As of today, 42 surgeries have been completed, and fundraising continues until the 99 surgeries are finished.
