OREANDA-NEWS. Hitachi, Juntendo University and the Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand, announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in relation to cooperation in area of healthcare, with the aim of facilitating exchange of medical personnel and technologies. The three parties will exchange information on research in advanced medical technology, training of medical personnel, and improving the efficiency of hospital operations through a global industry-academia cooperative relationship.

In recent years, the number of patients in Thailand contracting communicable diseases has decreased due to widespread inoculation. On the other hand, the mortality rate of people dying from cancer and other diseases has been increasing since the 1990s. This trend has prompted a greater demand for training and increasing the number of highly skilled medical personnel who can provide preventive and medical care of these diseases as well as enhancing the medical environment. To fulfill this need, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi hospital, Mahidol University has been promoting the exchange of personnel and technical cooperation with external institutions as part of its efforts to raise the level of medical care in the country.

In Japan, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi hospital, Mahidol University has signed an agreement with Juntendo University and the National Cancer Center in 2011, under which the parties are promoting cooperation in medical education and research. Juntendo University, also has a comprehensive agreement with Hitachi signed in 2012, under which the two parties are pursuing joint research for the early practical application of advanced technologies in the areas of medical care and healthcare in Japan and overseas.

Under the agreement announced, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi hospital, Mahidol University will be able to further raise the level of medical care in Thailand by combining the extensive track record and expertise that Juntendo University has in medical care with Hitachi's medical technologies. Juntendo University, through this increased exchange with Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi hospital, Mahidol University, will be able to further promote the globalization of its education research,and Hitachi hopes to gain knowledge on clinical settings in Asia to facilitate the global development of its medical equipment-related business and enhance its provision of healthcare solutions.

Hitachi, Juntendo University and Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi hospital, Mahidol University will continue to discuss areas for collaboration in the healthcare field based on the MOU, and through this cooperation will deepen their respective expertise as well as, by promoting global collaboration with other universities and institutes, contribute to raising the level of medical care in Asia and the world.