PHUKET: EXPATS and Thais are welcome at Phuket's newest hospital, the very pink Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation Hospital, which opened for outpatients yesterday.

The facility, to the east of Phuket City on the way to Koh Sireh, has proven to be attractive already to nurses from other Phuket hospitals.

''It's a very good option,'' said one nurse who was formerly at Mission Hospital in Phuket City. ''The pay is good and they offered a bonus.''

Nurses remain in demand with a high turnover reported at Phuket's six established hospitals.

As a low-cost private hospital, the PPAO venture is expected to relieve pressure on Phuket's largest public hospital, Vachira Hospital Phuket.

Forty nurses are on the staff at the new pink hospital, with 80 nursing aides, 13 doctors, five pharmacists and 148 other employees.

Administrators plan to keep the hospital relatively low-cost. The opening rates for accommodation are VIP room 3500 baht; single room 2350 baht; double room 1200 baht; icu 2800 baht; children 1000 baht; babies 300 baht; ward bed 300 baht.

Kidney dialysis is one specialty, at 2000 baht a treatment.

While yesterday's opening was purely for outpatients and attracted about 200 people, admissions are expected from next month, with social insurance becoming applicable from January.

There are now 129 beds in the facility and the number is expected to grow to 190.