In an act of compassion and international cooperation, Siriraj Hospital is extending its humanitarian reach beyond Thailand’s borders. Through the ‘Love for Humanity by Siriraj’ project, the hospital’s medical team is set to perform 70 free knee replacement surgeries for patients in Sri Lanka, following successful cases in Nepal and Bhutan, marking a new chapter in Thailand’s medical diplomacy.
Cutting age knee replacement techniques
Thailand provides not only surgical expertise and knowledge sharing, but also cutting-edge medical developments. The surgical technique, pioneered by Siriraj, combines three key factors for a revolution in patient recovery.
"The technique is focused on being minimally invasive. That means we try to minimise soft tissue injury during surgery, avoid damaging any soft tissue, and we don’t violate any muscle or ligament. So, the patient, after surgery, has much less pain”, said Professor Dr. Keerati Charoencholvanich, Chairman of the Orthopaedic Department at Siriraj Hospital.
Professor Dr. Keerati Charoencholvanich, Chairman of the Orthopaedic Department at Siriraj Hospital
He added that, when combined with specialised regional and selective nerve blocks, administered by the anaesthesiology team to optimize pain control, and with early mobilisation by the rehabilitation team, patients undergoing knee or hip replacement, who once required about a week of hospitalisation, can now often be managed as outpatients, discharged in the evening after morning surgery. This shift dramatically reduces healthcare costs and the overall financial burden on the country.
The 'Love for Humanity by Siriraj'
Dr. Keerati founded the 'Love for Humanity by Siriraj' project, drawing on his extensive experience in joint replacement surgery.
He explained the project's mission, saying "We provide our skill, knowledge and, because we are surgeons, we give love to humanity by providing joint replacement surgery services to the poor in remote areas".
So far, the Siriraj medical team has applied this special technique for four years and has travelled to 24 cities in Thailand to treat impoverished patients in remote areas, while also providing on-the-job training to local doctors to perform the surgery independently, reducing the need for patients to travel to Bangkok.
The initiative, which started by treating Thai patients, has now expanded to treat patients in other developing countries, including Nepal and Bhutan, which were very successful.
Siriraj medical team provides specialized on-the-job training in knee replacement surgery to local Bhutanese doctors.
He described helping patients walk again as “a miracle of life”, because it gives them the freedom to do things on their own without relying on others for mobility.
“We are proud that the Thai people are generous with their love, even though we may not be at the highest economic level,” said the doctor.
Fundraising through the Pha Pa charity
This year, the medical team is planning to go to Sri Lanka, which, like the two previous countries, is predominantly Buddhist.
The total estimated cost across the three countries is nearly 30 million baht. This includes the estimated cost for Sri Lanka, where the medical team will perform about 70 free knee replacement surgeries for Sri Lankan patients. Each procedure in that country would normally cost approximately US$7,000 per knee.
The fundraising efforts are led by three highly respected monks, Pra Ajahn Sutham, Pra Ajahn Inthawai and Pra Ajahn Anil Sakya, who help raise funds through the ‘Pha Pa’ charity.
Pra Ajahn Anil Sakya
Phra Ajarn Anil Sakya explained the logistical complexities. These include the doctor having already ordered all the titanium knee implants, which cost quite a lot. Team members have been flying in and out of Sri Lanka to check patient status, readiness and the operating theatre to assess what else is needed.
Phra Ajarn highlighted the necessity of meticulous planning. “A lot of things, if they don't have them, we have to carry from our country and, in order to carry on, of course, we have to clear customs and then make sure that we’ll bring all those things back into Thailand. So, all the nitty gritty is so much detail. It takes time,” he explained.
The pure hearts of Thai Buddhists
Fundraising efforts, which were completed in May this year, resulted in substantial donations. Remarkably, these contributions remained unaffected by recent scandals involving high-profile monks and corruption in some prominent temples.
Phra Ajarn Anil Sakya emphasised that people are “clever enough to separate what is what,” distinguishing the pure humanitarian effort from individual negative news.
“We have seen all this kind of negative news about the Buddhist monks which, more or less, you always have this kind of news all the time,” said Phra Ajarn. He also pointed out that these negative reports are individual cases and that such issues happen in every field and profession.
Despite the scandals, Thai Buddhists contributed around 10 million baht (approximately US$273,000) to the Sri Lanka project in a single day. Phra Ajarn noted that “In terms of this project, it is a very, very pure of heart effort, trying to help humanity.”
Royal tribute and diplomatic relationship celebration
The 'Love for Humanity by Siriraj' medical project will run from November 15th through 21st, 2025, at Kandy General Hospital.
It also serves as a royal merit-making tribute to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, The Princess Royal, on her 70th birthday and marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Sri Lanka.
By Att Boonyatus
