 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
BNH Hospital, formerly the Bangkok Nursing Home, is a hospital located in Bangkok, Thailand. [1]
In the latter years of the 19th century, health care in Bangkok was rudimentary and based on traditional Chinese and Thai medicine. However, Bangkok was growing as a base for British and other foreign companies and an increasing numbers of expatriate employees who demanded familiar western-type health care. Western-style clinics and hospitals were unknown and doctors trained in contemporary western medicine were exceptional by their absence.
On 20 August 1897, Bangkok's British community met at the British Legation with Mr George Grenville the resident British Minister and Consul General; this group proposed the establishment of a hospital modeled on contemporary British practice. Their decision was proposed to the Siamese monarch, King Chulalongkorn, who endorsed it and instructed the Ministry of Education to supervise the establishment of a nursing home exclusively for the care of Bangkok's foreign residents.
The king stipulated that the nursing home should be a non-profit organisation and provided an annual grant of 960 baht.
In 1898, two British nurses, Matron Cawley and the hospital's first nursing sister Miss Hitchens, arrived from the UK and by August the hospital was ready to receive its first patients.
Its first home was in temporary rented accommodation near its present location. In the first few years, the hospital faced financial difficulties that occasionally prevented it from paying its employees.
In 1899 the Siamese economy faced a crisis of confidence resulting in an economic slump, making the hospital's precarious financial situation more insecure. But in the year between its opening and the financial crisis the Bangkok Nursing Home had proved its value to the expatriate community, it was clear that it had become a resource that was too valuable to lose.
However the haemorrhaging of funds was not easily stemmed, so in April 1901 another meeting was held at the Court House of the British Legation. The original founding group was wound up and a new association established in September of that year, under the wing of a certain Mr Halliday who took over the assets of 2000 baht. Mr Halliday also had the responsibility of paying the nurses' salaries.
Later in 1901 the Bangkok Nursing Home Association raised a loan of 50,000 baht and purchased a plot of land in Convent Road from the Crown Property Office. Just twelve months later a new hospital, built at a cost of 31,762 baht was opened.
Teresa Lightwood contributed to the maternity services in Siam in the 1940s. For more information read Teresa of Siam published by Cassell in 1960.
With an average load of only 50 patients each year between 1902 and 1912 it cannot be said that the nursing staff were overworked. But from this small base the hospital's fortune and revenues grew steadily to such a point that in 1912 a new wing was built. The new building was funded partly by public subscription and by a 500 baht donation from Siam's Anglophile King Vajiravudh. The King Chulalongkorn Wing housed an operating theatre and a maternity ward and was opened by King Vajiravudh on 23 July 1912.
Just four years later further expansion was necessary and an 8,000 baht gift from the king facilitated further expansion. By 1922 the Bangkok Nursing Home's services were in such demand that it was necessary to build a new hospital.
It appears that money was still tight and the required funds were not readily available. The governing Committee examined a number of funding methods including public subscriptions and a lottery; a combination of a lottery and public subscriptions were considered the best means of raising funds.
The ambassadors of The Netherlands, Denmark, United States and Britain agreed to become patrons of the hospital. The king received a deputation and gave consent for the establishment of a lottery.
The lottery raised 89,354 baht and public subscriptions 40,000 baht allowing the Nursing Home to buy land for its new building which opened thirty years after the founding of the original hospital.
In the late 1980s early 90s the BNH was again stretched to its limit and in need of expansion. With its historical association with the Thai Royal Family, the management committee approached the Crown Property Bureau to become a partner in the building of a new international standard hospital.
And on the 14 February 1996 the new Bangkok Nursing Home was opened and a few years later it re-branded itself as the BNH Hospital.
A measure of its success is, that in its 107th year it is initiating another upgrading of its services and facilities. George Grenville and the founding fathers would be proud that the little nursing home in rented accommodation, based on British principles, is now one of the leading international hospitals in South East Asia.
Because of its roots in the British community and more importantly as it was established as a charitable non-profit institution the BNH still values its role as a contributor to the well being of the people of Bangkok. To this end it organises a major semi-annual fund raising event in the form of a 'bed push'. Over the two years since the first bed push the BNH Hospital has raised over two million baht for a children's charity.
Chulalongkorn was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V from 1 October 1868 to his death in 23 October 1910.
Vajiravudh was the sixth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VI. He reigned from 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts to create and promote Siamese nationalism. His reign was characterized by Siam's movement further towards democracy and minimal participation in World War I. He had keen interests in Siamese history, archaeology, and literature, as well as economics, politics and world affairs, and founded the country's first university, Chulalongkorn University.
The Rattanakosin Kingdom, the Kingdom of Siam, or the Bangkok Empire, were names used to reference the fourth and current Thai kingdom in the history of Thailand. It was founded in 1782 with the establishment of Rattanakosin (Bangkok), which replaced the city of Thonburi as the capital of Siam. This article covers the period until the Siamese revolution of 1932.
Mahitala Dhibesra Adulyadej Vikrom, the Prince Father, formerly Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla or Mahidol Songkla, was the father of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, and the paternal grandfather of King Vajiralongkorn. He was also regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health in Thailand. He also founded the House of Mahidol or the present Royal Family of Thailand. His two sons reigned for more than eight decades, longer than the Ibn Saud siblings of Saudi Arabia, and the Nahyan siblings of Abu Dhabi.
Galyani Vadhana, Princess of Naradhiwas was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej. She was also a direct granddaughter of King Chulalongkorn, and aunt of King Vajiralongkorn.
Princess Srinagarindra born Sangwan Talapat was a member of the Royal Thai Family. She was part of the House of Mahidol, which is descended from the Chakri Dynasty and was originated by Prince Mahidol Adulyadej. She was the mother of Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas, King Ananda Mahidol, and King Bhumibol Adulyadej and was the paternal grandmother of King Vajiralongkorn.
Thailand Post (THP), formerly part of the Communications Authority of Thailand until 2003, is a state enterprise that provides postal services in Thailand.
The Thai Red Cross Society is a major humanitarian organisation in Thailand, providing services as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Dusit Zoo or popularly known as Khao Din Wana (เขาดินวนา) and Khao Din (เขาดิน) was a zoo in Bangkok, Thailand. Located at Khao Din Park in Bangkok's Dusit District next to the Parliament House and Dusit Palace, it was the oldest zoo in Thailand, built by King Chulalongkorn as his private garden adjacent to the royal palace. After the king's death, the garden was left unattended for years.
The Palace Revolt of 1912 was a failed uprising against the absolute monarchy of Siam. Discontent in the army during the reign of King Vajiravudh led to the unsuccessful coup.
The Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Thailand is a cabinet-level department in the Government of Thailand. The ministry has wide ranging responsibilities. It is responsible for local administration, internal security, citizenship, disaster management, road safety, land management, issuance of national identity cards, and public works. The ministry is responsible for appointing the 76 governors of the Provinces of Thailand. The Minister of Interior is the head of the ministry. He is appointed by the King of Thailand on the recommendation of the prime minister. Since 1 September 2023, the head of the ministry has been Anutin Charnvirakul. He is aided by two deputy ministers. The FY2019 budget of the ministry is 371,802 million baht.
King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital is a public 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 Srisavarindhira Thai Red Cross Institute of Nursing. With an in-patient capacity of 1,435 beds, it is one of the largest hospitals in Thailand, and as one of Thailand's leading medical school affiliates, is widely considered one of the best public hospitals in the country, along with Siriraj Hospital and Ramathibodi Hospital.
The Ministry of Public Health is a Thai governmental body responsible for the oversight of public health in Thailand. It is commonly referred to in Thailand by its abbreviation so tho (สธ.).
Suddha Dibyaratana, Princess of Rattanakosin, was the Princess of Siam. She was a member of the Siamese royal family. She was given the highest rank of any daughter of Chulalongkorn, King Rama V of Siam.
Vajira Hospital is one of the first hospitals in Thailand, founded by King Rama VI. It is a teaching university hospital of the Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University; the Faculty of Medicine, Bangkokthonburi University and an affiliated teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University. It is situated on Samsen Road, Dusit District, Bangkok, Thailand.
This is a survey of the postal history and postage stamps of Thailand.
The Royal Bangkok Sports Club is an exclusive sports club in Bangkok, Thailand, best known to the public for its horse racing venue. Founded in 1901, it was the first racecourse in the country and one of the oldest golf courses. Originally serving Western expatriates and Thai aristocrats, the club was at the centre of development in the introduction of modern sport to the country during the early 20th century. The club has since maintained its exclusivity, and has a reputation as a domain of high society.
Rama IV Road is a main road in Bangkok, Thailand. It starts at Mo Mi Junction in the area of Bangkok's Chinatown in Samphanthawong and Pom Prap Sattru Phai Districts and ends at the junction with Sukhumvit Road in Khlong Toei District near Bangkok Port, also known as Khlong Toei Port.
The Embassy of the United Kingdom in Bangkok is the chief diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom in Thailand. Established as an embassy in 1947, its history dates to 1856 when a British consul was first posted in Bangkok following the signing of the Bowring Treaty. First established on Charoen Krung Road by the Chao Phraya River, the mission relocated to a new site on the corner of Phloen Chit and Witthayu Roads in 1922. Originally a rural location on the outskirts of the city, the area soon developed into one of the city centre's prime locations. The compound remained a leafy oasis amidst its densely developed surroundings throughout the 20th century, but was sold to Central Group at record-setting prices, first partially in 2007, then completely in 2017. The embassy is now based in an office building on Sathon Road, while its original buildings, including the ambassador's residence, have been demolished to make way for redevelopment.
