On April 10, 2024, Mrs. Arunee Hiam, Deputy Director-General of Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), on behalf of the Director-General of TICA, joined the Press Conference at Atthasit Conference Room, 5th Floor, Queen Sirikit Building, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University to announce the success of Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University in performing the first robotic assisted kidney transplant in Thailand and in ASEAN with the cooperation of a team of medical experts from Rangueil University Hospital, France. The Press Conference was also join by Clinical Professor Artit Ungkanont, M.D., Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital and Assoc. Prof. Nopraenue Sajjarax Dhirathiti, Vice President for International Relations and Corporate Communication from Mahidol University, together with medical team from Ramathibodi Hospital.

The successful operation is a result of close collaboration between a team of Thai medical experts from Ramathibodi Hospital and a team of medical experts from Rangueil University Hospital, France through the support from Mahidol University and TICA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two organizations jointly developed the MFA-MU Capacity Building for Medical and Health Science Education Hub Project to enhance Thailand’s Medical Diplomacy and Development Diplomacy.

Deputy Director-General of TICA congratulated the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital on this remarkable success and shared that it is a testament to TICA’s mandate which is ‘Connecting the World to Thailand and Connecting Thailand to the World’. The first part was how the Thai medical experts took knowledge from Rangueil University Hospital of France to help Thai patients. Moreover, under the MFA-MU Capacity Building for Medical and Health Science Education Hub project, Thai medical experts from the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi shared knowledge and expertise in traditional kidney transplant to medical staffs of Mittaphab Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR.

The robotic assisted kidney transplant which requires a smaller incision results in a speedier recovery than traditional kidney transplant, will greatly help a better treatment for the Thai patients. In the future, Thailand may have the opportunity to transfer knowledge from this success to other countries in the region as well.