WU Clinic Technology: Provide Access on Food Security Knowledge, Skills, Technology to Local Farmers and Food Producers

07Nov 2022 by Krittayot Ritthijak

Outreach and Engagement

Clinic Technology is a center cooperated with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and educational institutions aimed at promoting the Clinic Technology to be an academic and consultancy service center for target areas to manage the network powerfully and coordinate with various organizations belonging to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. This causes economic and livelihood development sustainably in communities by utilizing science, technology and innovation.

The following are the benefits the Clinic Technology gains from organizing activities:

- - - It is the main mission to freely provide assistance to the local residents and communities.
    - Promoting cooperation between community network of fieldwork
    - The Clinic Technology is honored and gains trust from the communities and local authorities.
    - The activities can indicate what technology needs the communities require so that the Clinic Technology coordinates with relevant agencies to assist the provision of technology and budget for the communities.
    - The Clinic Technology is able to organize new schemes or projects to promote and enhance the communities, both for the present and future.

Figure 1 The Process of academic and consultancy service request Clinic Technology.

In addition, the communities participating in the activities gain benefits from academic and consultancy service by The Clinic Technology, such as the activities is able to contribute to the community strength and the local residents in the communities are knowledgeable about science and technology from various media channels so that they can empower their potentiality and society as a whole.

Clinic Technology has implemented academic and consultancy service addressing the lack of technology in enhancing careers at the community level for the fiscal year 2021 to the housewife groups, agriculturists and local residents through telephone calls, website, direct contact with the staff by walking into the Clinic Technology, Walailak University, fieldwork, the public relation of Clinic Technology through holding an exhibition, consultancy service and technology transfer activity cooperated with internal and external organizations.

There are 67 requesters to receive the service in three aspects of technology, namely using bio substance for agricultural rehabilitation after flooding, promoting the health of the agriculturists to enhance production and economic community and the further development of project proposal in science, technology and innovation to request for funding from various institutes. Moreover, there are 213 requesters to receive the service in promoting the health of the agriculturists to enhance production and economic community. The number of all requesters is 280 in total. The Clinic Technology has done a satisfaction survey and there are 67 people participating. As a result, the percentage of satisfaction is 92.84% and all of them are able to use the knowledge gained from the service to apply to their career development representing 100% of the academic and consultancy service achievement.

Figure 2 Walailak University Clinic Technology operating results.

Figure 3 The announcement of Nakhon Si Thammarat titled the selection result of the project of “One Province One Model Royal Development Study Center for the Year 2020” organized by the Department of Provincial Administration shows that the winner is Ban Tha Rai Royal Development Center, Wang Ang subdistrict, Cha Uat district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, and the first runner-up is Wat Ya Royal Development Center, Na Sai subdistrict, Mueang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat awarded by Mr. Kraisorn Wisitwong, the governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat on March 17, 2021.

Figure 4: Mr. Thanakom Jongjira, the Director – General Department of Provincial Administration grants the certificate certifying that Cha Uat District Royal Development Center has been awarded the 1^st place in the competition of the project titled “One Province One Model Royal Development Study Center for the Year 2021” on April 19, 2021.

Also, it is funded by Rubber Authority of Thailand in the project of “Creative Economic Development in the Rubber Plantation for Increasing Income and Strengthening Sustainability of the Agricultural Community”.

The cost of academic and consultancy services in science and technology is 879.46 baht per individual. Thanks to community awareness and the use of bio substances instead of chemical pesticides, the cost was reduced dramatically from 90,000 baht to 6,000 baht. The service brought in food security and 15 times the profit from the investment for agricultural rehabilitation after floods.

The estimated cost of medical expenses of the agriculturists in Wang Ang and Klong Noi subdistricts is 594,597 baht, excluding indirect cost loss which consists of loss of income caused by absenteeism and the lack of work efficiency. The overall cost of medical expenses is 81,600 baht which is valued at 7.29 times of the investment.

The communities can collect the data and calculate the expenditure in medical care in 2021 accurately. In this regard, the Clinic Technology, Walailak University has already had 42 technologies and is ready to transfer all aspects of technology and innovation, such as health science, science and technology and social science. Moreover, the center has 42 products developed by science, 45 experts and the information of consultancy service system on Clinic Monitoring Online developed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation for sustainable operation.

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