Nowadays, many infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance have become the emerging threats for people around the world. The global spread of emerging infectious diseases has further highlighted the importance of hospital planning for hazardous infectious diseases. Hospitals are faced with the potential situation of providing care to patients with emerging and re-emerging diseases as well as antimicrobial resistance while assuring optimal safety for staff.

Siriraj Hospital, the biggest hospital in the ASEAN region under Mahidol University with 1,800 medical instructors and residents, and 5,200 nurses and nurse assistants, provides services to 3,000,000 out-patients and 85,000 in-patients per year. The Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University has been actively engaged in resolving this particular challenge.  A number of implemented policies for preparedness and response within the healthcare settings, national and international collaborative projects to prevent and reduce antimicrobial resistance were demonstrated in the isolation unit. The isolation unit was provided to isolate patients who pose a risk of passing a potentially harmful infection on to others.  The Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Research and Development, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital was designated as a WHO Collaborating Center for Antimicrobial Resistance Prevention and Containment.  

Thai Traditional Medicine is one of the complementary and alternative medicines which emphasizes on individualized holistic approach and focuses on promoting the individual’s health by assisting the person’s innate self-healing and health-maintaining capacity. In addition, herbal medicines may fill this therapeutic gap, providing effective treatment that reduces antibiotic prescription and does not contribute to microbial resistance.