King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital
Encyclopedia
King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (sometimes abbreviated KCMH) is a general
and tertiary referral hospital
in Bangkok
, Thailand
. It is operated by the Thai Red Cross Society
, and serves as the teaching hospital
for the Faculty of Medicine
, Chulalongkorn University
and the Thai Red Cross College of Nursing. With an in-patient capacity of 1,479 beds, it is one of the largest hospitals in Thailand.
The founding of the hospital was first proposed by King Vajiravudh
, who, having observed the operations of the Red Cross Hospital of Japan during his travels, thought it beneficial to establish a hospital in the service of the Red Cross (then the Red Unalom Society). The hospital, named in honour of King Chulalongkorn
, was founded through donations by King Vajiravudh and his brothers and sisters, together with the society's funds. The hospital was opened by King Vajiravudh on 30 May 1914.
Today, the hospital provides general and specialized medical services through its dentistry
, forensic medicine, internal medicine
, orthopedics
, pediatrics
, preventive medicine
, psychiatry
, obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology
, otolaryngology
, radiology
and surgery
clinics. It also operates five specialized medical service centers, namely: Cardiac Center, Glaucoma
Imaging & Diagnostic Center, Excimer Laser
Center, Chulalongkorn Craniofacial
Center, and the Queen Sirikit Center for Breast Cancer
.
On April 30, 2010, more than 200 anti-government Red-Shirt protesters
forced their way
into Chulalongkorn Hospital, which is near to the main protest site, searching for soldiers whom the protesters alleged were hiding there but finding no soldiers. Patients, family members, and hospital staff were threatened. Following the Red Shirt storming, hospital staff moved approximately 600 patients to other buildings and another hospitals further away from the protest site. UDD leader Weng Tojirakarn, himself a medical doctor, apologized for the storming, calling it "inappropriate" and "unreasonable". Reuters
describes the situation as "a clumsy storming of a hospital that raised questions over whether the movement is losing direction in a two-month crisis that has killed 27 people".
General hospital
A general hospital is a type of medical facility which is set up to deal with many kinds of disease and injury.General hospital may also refer to:*General Hospital, an American soap opera broadcast since 1963...
and tertiary referral hospital
Tertiary referral hospital
A tertiary hospital, tertiary referral center or tertiary care center is a term without a formal definition which in the United States generally refers to:...
in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It is operated by the Thai Red Cross Society
Thai Red Cross Society
The Thai Red Cross Society is the major humanitarian organisation in Thailand, providing services as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement...
, and serves as the teaching hospital
Teaching hospital
A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients...
for the Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
The Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University,the second oldest medical school in Thailand, was established in 1947 in accordance with the wishes of King Ananda Mahidol to educate a sufficient number of medical doctors to satisfy the public's demands. For more than half a century, this medical...
, Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
and the Thai Red Cross College of Nursing. With an in-patient capacity of 1,479 beds, it is one of the largest hospitals in Thailand.
The founding of the hospital was first proposed by King Vajiravudh
Vajiravudh
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramentharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Phra Bat Somdet Phra Ramathibodi Si Sintharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VI was the sixth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1910 until his death...
, who, having observed the operations of the Red Cross Hospital of Japan during his travels, thought it beneficial to establish a hospital in the service of the Red Cross (then the Red Unalom Society). The hospital, named in honour of King Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
, was founded through donations by King Vajiravudh and his brothers and sisters, together with the society's funds. The hospital was opened by King Vajiravudh on 30 May 1914.
Today, the hospital provides general and specialized medical services through its dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
, forensic medicine, internal medicine
Internal medicine
Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
, orthopedics
Orthopedics
Orthopedics is the study of the musculoskeletal system. The Greek word 'ortho' means straight or correct and 'pedics' comes from the Greek 'pais' meaning children. For many centuries, orthopedists have been involved in the treatment of crippled children...
, pediatrics
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
, preventive medicine
Preventive medicine
Preventive medicine or preventive care refers to measures taken to prevent diseases, rather than curing them or treating their symptoms...
, psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
, obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
, otolaryngology
Otolaryngology
Otolaryngology or ENT is the branch of medicine and surgery that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck disorders....
, radiology
Radiology
Radiology is a medical specialty that employs the use of imaging to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the human body. Radiologists use an array of imaging technologies to diagnose or treat diseases...
and surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
clinics. It also operates five specialized medical service centers, namely: Cardiac Center, Glaucoma
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye...
Imaging & Diagnostic Center, Excimer Laser
Excimer laser
An excimer laser is a form of ultraviolet laser which is commonly used in the production of microelectronic devices , eye surgery, and micromachining....
Center, Chulalongkorn Craniofacial
Craniofacial
Craniofacial may be used to describe certain congenital malformations, injuries, surgeons who subspecialize in this area, multi-disciplinary medical-surgical teams that treat and do research on disorders affecting this region, and organizations with interest in...
Center, and the Queen Sirikit Center for Breast Cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
.
On April 30, 2010, more than 200 anti-government Red-Shirt protesters
National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship
The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship , whose supporters are commonly called "Red Shirts", is a political pressure group opposed to the People's Alliance for Democracy , the 2006 Thai military coup, and supporters of the coup. Notable UDD leaders include Jatuporn Prompan, Nattawut...
forced their way
2010 Thai political protests
A prolonged series of political protests occurred in Bangkok, Thailand in 2010 from March to May against the Democrat Party-led government. The protests were organized by the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship...
into Chulalongkorn Hospital, which is near to the main protest site, searching for soldiers whom the protesters alleged were hiding there but finding no soldiers. Patients, family members, and hospital staff were threatened. Following the Red Shirt storming, hospital staff moved approximately 600 patients to other buildings and another hospitals further away from the protest site. UDD leader Weng Tojirakarn, himself a medical doctor, apologized for the storming, calling it "inappropriate" and "unreasonable". Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
describes the situation as "a clumsy storming of a hospital that raised questions over whether the movement is losing direction in a two-month crisis that has killed 27 people".