Mahidol University, Thailand

Cheung Hiu-lam|Tsang Wing-yu|Year 2 Bachelor of Nursing (Full-time) students

The 2024 Asia-Pacific Alliance of Health Leaders (APAHL) Forum at Mahidol University in Salaya, Thailand gave us a transformative experience regarding holistic healthcare. By collaborating with international peers from various healthcare specialties, we enriched our understanding of the healthcare systems in Japan and Thailand, while elevating our communication with medical professionals.

The forum opened with insightful lectures from experts like Dr Chanin Limwongse, who highlighted precision medicine, emphasising its role in illness screening and prevention; Dr Arkhom Praditsuwan, who spoke on Thailand's health establishments and advances in foreign medical care; and Dr Kanyarat Kuysuwan, who further expanded our understanding of genomic technology’s role in disease management, emphasising the integration of Western and traditional Chinese medicine.

Visits to healthcare sites enriched our learning about Thailand’s unique blend of traditional and modern therapies, including herbal ball massages, acupuncture, and traditional Thai spas. This also highlighted the vital role of culture in shaping healthcare practices.

Beyond healthcare, cultural exchanges gave us insights on differing social policies, such as the differences in maternity leave policies between Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong, which revealed how cultural values influence healthcare and family support systems.

Overall, this experience broadened our perspectives on delivering precise, culturally sensitive and holistic care, and we hope to integrate these insights into our future nursing practice.

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