Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2016 6:39:15 GMT 7
Working-age population to fall this year for first time
* Healthcare spending to hit 7 pct of GDP by 2026 -KGI
* Firms invest heavily to cater to greying population
By Khettiya Jittapong and Pairat Temphairojana
BANGKOK, Aug 16 Thai elderly care robot Dinsow can not only keep track of your medication and video-phone your relatives, but can also exercise with you and even entertain you with its karaoke skills.
Its manufacturer, CT Asia Robotics, is one of many Thai firms investing heavily in healthcare for the aged in a country where the working-age population will decline this year - a first among the emerging economies of Southeast Asia.
By the end of 2016, almost 15 percent of Thailand's roughly 68 million people will be over the retirement age of 60. The government expects the proportion to reach 20 percent by 2020, adding strain to an already stretched healthcare sector.
"Doctors and nurses have responded positively to Dinsow because it helps them monitor patients," said Chief Executive Chalermpon Punnotok. CT Asia Robotics has got 1,000 orders from Thailand and Japan for the 85,000 baht ($2,445) droid, he said.
Thailand's population swing toward the elderly comes as living and education costs rise along with economic development that has outpaced neighbours, according to the World Bank.
The government estimates households spend almost of third of their income on caring for elderly relatives, and KGI Securities estimates healthcare spending will be as high as 7.0 percent of gross domestic product by 2026 from 4.5 percent in 2015.
www.reuters.com/article/thailand-ageing-idUSL4N18Z33U
* Healthcare spending to hit 7 pct of GDP by 2026 -KGI
* Firms invest heavily to cater to greying population
By Khettiya Jittapong and Pairat Temphairojana
BANGKOK, Aug 16 Thai elderly care robot Dinsow can not only keep track of your medication and video-phone your relatives, but can also exercise with you and even entertain you with its karaoke skills.
Its manufacturer, CT Asia Robotics, is one of many Thai firms investing heavily in healthcare for the aged in a country where the working-age population will decline this year - a first among the emerging economies of Southeast Asia.
By the end of 2016, almost 15 percent of Thailand's roughly 68 million people will be over the retirement age of 60. The government expects the proportion to reach 20 percent by 2020, adding strain to an already stretched healthcare sector.
"Doctors and nurses have responded positively to Dinsow because it helps them monitor patients," said Chief Executive Chalermpon Punnotok. CT Asia Robotics has got 1,000 orders from Thailand and Japan for the 85,000 baht ($2,445) droid, he said.
Thailand's population swing toward the elderly comes as living and education costs rise along with economic development that has outpaced neighbours, according to the World Bank.
The government estimates households spend almost of third of their income on caring for elderly relatives, and KGI Securities estimates healthcare spending will be as high as 7.0 percent of gross domestic product by 2026 from 4.5 percent in 2015.
www.reuters.com/article/thailand-ageing-idUSL4N18Z33U
