Cost of Private Hospital Outpatient Treatment

[Aquaman2016]

Dear All

 

I am posting this as a cautionary tale for those (like me) who have never had to use Outpatient facilities in Hua Hin. This is not a post about medical insurance (which I have for Inpatient care) but a guide to costs that you may encounter in a Private Healthcare facility.

 

About a week ago I sliced my thumb. I applied a plaster and went to bed thinking no more of it. However, next day when changing the plaster, the wound was still bleeding and I decided that a visit to hospital was required. My wife advised me to go to a private hospital rather than queue at a government hospital.

 

I attended a well-known private hospital and following registration, was seen very quickly by a range of nurses. Then, again very quickly, I was seen by a doctor. He advised that he would cut away a flap of skin and put in some sutures. Fine....get on with it.... Then he decided that he would need a second opinion from a surgeon, who attended a short time later. The surgeon agreed with the doctor and I received 5 stitches. The doctor advised me to take some ibuprofen should I feel any pain. I told him that I would not need any medication.

 

I was then escorted to the Cashier. Now bearing in mind that I had neither seen nor checked the invoice, I was shocked to be charged THB 6,651. Nevertheless I paid. I was then told to wait for my medication. When I told the Cashier that I had specifically requested no medication he deducted THB 868 for two sets of painkillers and one set of antibiotics- slightly more than a couple of ibuprofen tablets!!! Before I left I was given daily appointments to clean and redress the wound and an appointment to have the sutures removed in a week’s time.

 

The next day I attended hospital for the first (and last!!) wound cleaning appointment. The nurse spent two minutes dabbing the wound with a bit of saline and putting on a fresh dressing. The cost of this??? THB 600!!!! I decided to do the future wound cleaning myself!!!

 

Yesterday I attended hospital to get my sutures removed. I thought that it was a bit too soon and as soon as the doctor (not nurse) cut the sutures the wound began to bleed again. Anyway the upshot of this visit was a cost of THB 1409.70. This included THB 95.70 for saline - the hospital had used a mere dribble, yet had charged me five times more than I had paid for a bottle - and various other overinflated medical supply charges and “Other Medical Charges”.

 

My innocuous cut to my thumb, had I paid everything that the hospital wanted me to would have cost me a total of THB 11,660.70!!!

 

I appreciate that Outpatient care can be relatively cheap in Thailand, but when using Private Medical Facilities....Caveat Emptor!!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[colinneil]

Well Aquaman  next time go to the local government hospital and you will probably be charged 250 baht.

Ok so you have to wait a bit, but at least you will save money.

I go to the local government hospital every 3 weeks for a catheter change 295 baht.

[from the home of CC]

I went through a similar experience in Hua Hin at the private hospital a few years back (strained muscle from running). The outcome was cheaper just because I only required the ibuprofen but the cost for the couple of tablets was ridiculous. I told them I'll buy them at Boots for a tenth of the cost thanks but no thanks, got a few evil looks and walked out. I'll never go back and knock wood haven't needed to as yet. My plan going forward is what Colin suggested, I'll just bring a good book and wait my turn. Hell, in Canada with the government health care system that I paid taxes to many years, you can wait 10 hrs to see someone in emergency unless you're bleeding out on the floor. Can't be much worse here and more than likely I wouldn't be waiting that long.  

[ELVIS123456]

I cant speak for Hua Hin as I lived in Chiang Mai, but we found a local Clinic which was basically a GP and a few Nurses. She spoke English well and was able to perform all the usual GP services, but she also did basic proceedures, which included surgical removal of an ingrowing toe nail - she gave me a few local anestetic injections in the toe (they hurt) and then she cut and spliced and then stiched up the toe (no paint) and it cost me just over 2000 baht.  Her name is Dr Morgan for those inerested in Chiang Mai - on the main road going south from the City 

http://www.healthcaremedicalclinic.com/

 

I used the main private hospital once in Chiang Mai (probably the same name as in the OP story with Hua Hin after it), and that is why I searched for and found Dr Morgan.  Surely there is someone like that in Hua Hin - heaps of Expats there (so I am told).

 

[sledpull]

If there is a good General Practitioner with an office in Hua Hin, please let the expats know! Share the wealth so to speak! Thank you.

[Seligne2]

 My experience at Bangkok Hospital HH: I fell and sustained a lengthy cut on the underside of my forearm. Lots of bleeding. Went to BKK Hospital, it being close. Was seen immediately. The MD stitched me up (13) and prescribed some pills. Total time: 60-90 minutes. Cost: ~12k baht. They wanted me back every day to change the bandage. I went once, but at 600+ baht figured I could do it myself. Also took out the stitches myself.

 

I have since discovered San Paulo Hospital, even closer, and seems to be a lot cheaper than BKK.

 

Never have used HH Hospital but did have a friend there. Seemed OK, just crowded with people.

 

For small things there are any number of small clinics in the area.

 

For inexpensive blood testing there is  HH  Central Lab across from Bangkok Bank in central HH.  24 hr turnaround.

[BritManToo]

32 minutes ago, Seligne2 said:

My experience at Bangkok Hospital HH: I fell and sustained a lengthy cut on the underside of my forearm. Lots of bleeding. Went to BKK Hospital, it being close. Was seen immediately. The MD stitched me up (13) and prescribed some pills. Total time: 60-90 minutes. Cost: ~12k baht.

I paid 400bht for a similar amount of stitches on my leg, local government hospital.

No waiting as I was bleeding all over the place. Novocaine injections and antibiotics included.

I did go back to have the stitches out, very pretty nurse kneeling on the floor in front of me while I sat down and gritted my teeth, another 125bht.