Seeing Opportunities Creates Opportunities to See

Ban Phaeo Hospital (Public Organization)

Every week for the past 20 years, the Ban Phaeo Hospital’s Eye Department and mobile eye surgery unit have provided eye care to people in need, allowing them to see again.

Even though it was a big job with satisfying results, Dr. Phonthep Phongtawikorn, Director of Ban Phaeo Hospital, is the driving force behind creating these opportunities, but he doesn’t stop there. He and his team designed the Ban Phaeo Eye Hospital project to be a specialized hospital that can care for more patients in a more convenient and timely manner, as well as provide more opportunities to see than ever before.

For this reason, the Suthirat Yoovidhya Foundation sees an opportunity to accelerate the team’s potential and commitment. The sooner someone who has lost an eye can return to a brighter life, the better.

Because We Saw an Opportunity, We Created It Together

1. See an opportunity and give an opportunity

“Actually, we need to start at Ban Phaeo Hospital, which has a mobile eye surgery unit. We’ve been doing this for 20 years, assisting people with vision issues in the wilderness. We discovered that cataracts are the leading cause of blindness. Asked if you do it once a year? No, I do it every week to reach 10,000 eyes. That marks the first time the project has been initiated.” Dr. Phonthep Phongtawikorn, Director of Ban Phaeo Hospital, discusses the beginning of the project that made the hospital famous. When asked why, the doctor stated that it was his intention since graduation to go out and help people in the provinces, but the key is not the starting point if the team is to recognize this opportunity together. “Fortunately, this organization offers more opportunities. However, if it fails and the team is unwilling to work on the project, it will be unable to continue. So I gathered people to try to go out to the unit and make the surgery happen, which was well worth it. I invited the entire team to join the screening unit from the beginning. We saw the grandmother who came to us and were able to take her history while her eyes were open. When the surgery was completed, we saw the person regain sight, and the team cried as well. I believe the most important thing is that we do not come to perform surgery, but rather to gain merit and merit. I’ll always emphasize this. When you finished the operation, you realized how much you’d helped him. Grandma, who had arrived to carry the shoulders the next day, was walking with a limp. It was happy, and the team learned as it continued to create happiness. “We may not visit the temple frequently, but what we do is inspiring. Every time I ask the team if they have any interesting stories to share. This is something we will discuss with one another, and as more new members join the team, we will try to exchange stories like this to make them proud of their valuable contributions.”

2. Inspiration in Eyes

The patient’s eyes define that value. “When I visited the unit in Kamphaeng Phet, I checked on a grandmother. Two children carried her shoulders and sat with her eyes wide open, unable to see. During the examination, his son stated, “This grandma has been eating rice and tears for ten years.” It’s not fish sauce; it’s tears. I asked how to eat, and I ate through tears. The son demonstrated this by having Grandma hold a spoon, holding Grandma’s hand, and knocking over the plate of rice and the plate. Grandma scooped rice, ate it, and cried for ten years. That day, we decided to perform surgery on Grandma. The morning after the surgery, Grandma, whose hair was frizzy and combed smooth, raised her hand to pay me respects from a distance. At that moment, I knew Grandma had seen it. The legend of eating rice with tears should be dispelled. But I believe there are still many grandmothers who suffer from the agony of eating rice and crying. That is an inspiration to many of us.” The doctor slowly compiled his impressions of the surgical unit for us, filled with precise details A grandmother in Yala chose not to visit the eye doctor because she needed to care for her son, who had terminal cancer, but when she returned to the unit in a remote area, she regained her vision. The grandfather, who was blind in both eyes and unable to hear, was also homeless, but people in the alley helped him get to surgery and volunteered to care for him afterward until he regained his sight. The girl who gradually lost her eyes one by one and had to undergo two surgeries but couldn’t find them, but because the doctor believed in the concept of opportunity, he requested a third surgery and the girl regained her sight.

All of this motivates them to never stop providing opportunities for visibility to those who have lost it.

3. Ban Phaeo Eye Hospital, A New Opportunity that Is Being Created

The Ban Phaeo Hospital eye team’s reputation has been established through continuous work, whether treating patients in the hospital or deploying mobile surgical units across the country. Many patients are willing to travel long distances across provinces for treatment because they trust the medical team. It began as a small department and has since expanded, but it is still insufficient to meet demand.

“ Cataracts are not the only type of eye problem; optic nerve problems, glaucoma, and other issues can also arise. The public sector also suggested that we build an ophthalmology-focused hospital. Although the private sector is available, the prices are prohibitively expensive, so we established Ban Phaeo Eye Hospital. ”

However, the construction of Ban Phaeo Eye Hospital was not easy. Fundraising began in 2015 , but it took longer than anticipated to take shape. “ We started a fundraiser, but the money wasn’t enough. I recall that in 2019-2020 , we approached the Supreme Patriarch to have him chair the fundraiser. We raised $ 100 million to build the outpatient section. However, the inpatient phase, including the operating room, is still beyond our capabilities. ” The doctor explained that he then had the opportunity to meet Mr. Suthirat Yoovidhya, a patient who had come to receive treatment. The doctor then told the president of the foundation about what he had done and the projects he was determined to make a reality, and the second phase of his dream began to show signs of possibility.

4. Opportunity to Clarify and Accelerate Goals

“Previously, we had only two eye surgery rooms. Regardless of how many surgeons were present, they all had to queue, which made surgery take longer. The doctor had to hurry up and complete the surgery in time. Expanding the operating room to nine rooms will enable us to perform more and faster surgeries. We believe that if a blind patient has to wait 3 months or 6 months, getting him to do it today will most likely help him get his life back faster. Our job is to have him undergo surgery as soon as possible; that is what we want.” The doctor emphasized the importance of this aspect of his work.

“At the time, we anticipated that building an operating room would be extremely expensive and that we might need to launch a fundraising campaign. However, during the COVID situation, things are difficult. We expected it to take 2-3 years to receive the full amount, but the Suthirat Yoovidhya Foundation decided to help us with the entire amount. We are extremely happy. We rushed through the work because the sooner we got to the operating room, the more patients would benefit.” The director, who is the main driving force, tells us that he has a happy smile and determination in his eyes and is eager to achieve the goals he has set for himself as soon as possible.

“69.9 million baht is the most money we’ve ever received from a single donor, but the foundation says it’s nothing compared to what patients will get. Accordingly, the team decided that once this operating room is completed, we will make the best use of it to assist as many patients as possible.”

5. The Key is a Team with Heart

Banphaeo Hospital is a public organization. The difference is that the management has a different budget than general government hospitals. Ban Phaeo does not have a budget to cover both personnel and equipment. The building was only partially subsidized, but administratively, this small hospital has demonstrated that it has been in operation for 22 years and is well-established in its treatment. When we raised our hands to ask what makes the difference, the hospital director said it all comes down to how we think.

“Why is Ban Phaeo so productive after 22 years? That is something we must prove through hard work. Our way of thinking must differ from that of the general government sector. Must accurately respond to the needs of those using the service. Significantly alter people’s perspectives within the organization. My luck is that 70% of the people in the organization are from Generation Y, so changing the organization is not difficult. I always say that if we want to create change in an organization, and we say we’re doing it to meet the needs of customers, there are two perspectives. An 80-year-old grandmother comes to heal. If we had thought about it the same way, we would have designed the room to please Grandma, but the daughter who brought us here may have seen that an ancient hospital would be acceptable. The operating room must be shabby. I have to ask: the grandmother receives the service, but the daughter makes the decisions. We must make this project meet the needs of those who make the decisions. People decide that they want a hospital that is modern, attractive, has qualified doctors, and is clean. That is what we must change to ensure our survival. This is what we will observe differently.

“And, most importantly, everyone can see the team’s dedication. Many hospitals have money, equipment, buildings, and rooms, but what if their staff fails to perform? As a result, the team holds the most importance. I believe the Suthirat Foundation sees our team’s determination; they see what we’ve been doing for nearly 20 years and how committed our team is to helping.”

Because of the team’s caring nature and willingness to create new opportunities to see patients.