Covid-19: Thai infected with virus complains of high cost and lack of beds

[spiekerjozef]

So stay home and cure it with tiger balm is the underlying message...

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, mixed said:

He was infected at the Lumpini stadium, which is air con and has gamblers packed in real tight and yelling, plus lots of money changing hands. If the country was severly affected we would be hearing of a lot more cases via word of month. Fingers crossed!

 

Likely at least 10 unreported cases for each reported one. AT LEAST. 

[Chazar]

2 hours ago, Yadon Toploy said:

Truth starting to creep out now it seems.

The other  truth is  unlike the Uk who have been testing and do completely free  tests with fast drive thru tests even available Thailand has done very  little  testing. The result  is the UK "appears"  to have a lot of cases whilst  Thailand "appears " to have very few..........yeah because you havent tested.

Even my staff told me yesterday dont go to the UK  full of  virus..........then again they  have little knowledge and listen to the <deleted> the govt spouts or anyone really, her Sister told her this useless piece of  information, didnt waste my breath explaining it to her.

[ParkerN]

3 hours ago, JimmyTheMook said:

 

No it was deleted. 

 

And why would it have been deleted? Because it represented the truth begining to creep out perhaps? Or soldiers will be kicking in your doors if you don't delete it and behave yourself?

[sapson]

8 minutes ago, spiekerjozef said:

So stay home and cure it with tiger balm is the underlying message...

Forget to wash your hands and any of that gets down under, youll have a lot more to worry about than a lousy virus.

[time2093]

25 minutes ago, sapson said:

The government issued a directive few years back that under the 30baht scheme even private hospitals cannot refuse to freely treat a Thai, however in practice maybe impossible.

 

Any private hospital will ask for insurance details almost immediately from a farang or Thai.

 

However Bangkok hospital charging 25 k for a Covid screen is disgusting but aimed at wealthy thais knowing that the insurance will pick up the tab.

 

The whole point under the dire emergency circumstances it should be free testing for anyone with symptoms to avoid the spread.....

 

Perhaps the head numb nuts could finally honour his word and make masks and sanitizer freely available to buy nationwide.................one month now locally and still SOLLY NO HAB.

The 30 bht scheme is for only government hospitals. My wife was told they by several privet hospitals including Bangkok hospital that she wont be covered under the 30 bht healthcare scheme an to go to the government hospital.

[Happy Grumpy]

1 hour ago, englishoak said:

Why would he be lying ?

The treatment costs 30 baht. 

[jonclark]

9 minutes ago, Happy Grumpy said:

The treatment costs 30 baht. 

If you are Thai, then you are assigned, or register at a single hospital where you can get treated under the 30 baht scheme. That hospital is usually closest to where you are registered on your home papers / Tabien Baan. If you move to a new province then you must do a little paper chase to move hospitals, otherwise you stay at your original hospital. 

 

In this instance if he went to a government hospital that was not his assigned hospital they would carry out initial life saving treatment for 30 baht but then be referred back to his assigned hospital to continue treatment under the 30 baht scheme. My guess is (and it is a guess) most government hospitals would not view a co-vid19 test as life saving treatment if the patient was assigned a hospital in a different province. 

 

So whilst the 'universal' health care system term is correct, universal in this instance means all people are covered, not all people are covered by all hospitals. All people will be covered if they go to their assigned hospital under 30 baht scheme. Patients can still go to any government hospitals but payment may be required. 

 

Life saving treatment - i.e. in a road accident - is the obvious exception.

 

Some specialist hospitals, such Prasat Center for Neurology - as national clinical referral center - continue to offer 30 baht scheme to all Thai people once they are referred to them even if from a different province. 

Edited March 18, 2020 by jonclark

[NCC1701A]

[jonclark]

18 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

I wonder what the special service is??? I am guessing it has something to do with size as it costs less in Thai than it does in English apparently. 

Edited March 18, 2020 by jonclark

[legend49]

4 hours ago, MaxLee said:

He'll be a hunted man for speaking out the truth....

by a health minister who has no answers.

[Is this real]

Honestly, why the panic?

 

Since there is no treatment, what could be charged for other than room and board?

 

Economies and countries are being destroyed all for the sake of an inflammatory news story.  But, shutting down every event is just plain stupid. 

 

There have been, essentially, NO DEATHS from CORVID-19 in people under 50, as of March 16. Yes, you can get sick for a few days as with a normal cold.  But, CORVID-19 is not a threat to most of the world.  All efforts should be directed to the +50 year olds. 

 

Old folks, such as me, need to be careful, as with any virus. 

 

              

 

 

Edited March 18, 2020 by Is this real
clarity

[sapson]

3 hours ago, time2093 said:

The 30 bht scheme is for only government hospitals. My wife was told they by several privet hospitals including Bangkok hospital that she wont be covered under the 30 bht healthcare scheme an to go to the government hospital.

Yes your wife is right the scheme is for use at a designated government hospital in your own province.

 

However as mentioned a few years back the gov decreed that if you needed rapid treatment at the nearest hospital anywhere.,......they are obliged to treat you freely both private or government if you were a Thai citizen.

 

At the time the private hospitals were none too pleased at the idea of Somchai and a pickup full of his family members turning up in their ER departments for a triple bypass op for 30 baht.

 

The full article was on here a few years back.

[justin case]

100.000 for a thai = 1 million for farang ?

[ChrisY1]

IMO, this is "make a motza" time for many private hospitals here in Thailand

Some are owned by ex cops, army personnel and Chinese business people....some are owned by corporations....Money being the main criteria for ownership as would be expected.

The government hospitals are generally fine..especially in BKK.....the teaching hospitals are the best anywhere.

If you need care, shop around, do some research.....not always easy for an expat, but can be done

 

[Millian]

Wife had a fever and other covid symptoms so rang the 1422 hotline. They asked where we live, Suan Luang and she was told to go to Chulalongkorn Hospital. 

 

Tests cost 1600, so seems they aren't free in public hospitals.

 

[macleans]

This story is true. He was telephone interviewed last night on a Thai TV show. I watched it, and what he said during the interview  is exactly the same as what Daily News reported. He's currently being treated at a private hospital because the authority hasn't been able to find him a bed. There is a shortage of beds for covid patients right now.

[Millian]

But only 200 or so reported cases?

 

How can there be a shortage of beds?

[saengd]

District hospitals (at least) often charge for parts of some procedures although I don't understand the rationale. My wife had her gall bladder removed at the CM District Hospital and was covered by the 30 baht scheme but she agreed top pay an additional 1k per night for a private room. Bills for a further 17k also appeared and were explained away as being items not covered by the scheme. We were OK with it all because the total cost of the op at a private hospital would have been close to 90k.

[saengd]

1 minute ago, Millian said:

But only 200 or so reported cases?

 

How can there be a shortage of beds?

People get sick with other things apart from the flu and Thailand does have an ageing population.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 hours ago, Sheryl said:

They are.

 

Sounds like he was in a private hospital.

 

One of the interesting things I've noticed lately from various of the Thai media/social figures in BKK posting publicly that they've had confirmed CV cases is that they're being tested and treated at private hospitals. I can't think of one of those types who's reported a test result or treatment from a government hospital.  But I guess the question is WHY?

 

Are they simply choosing to pay for higher priced testing and treatment at private hospitals?  Or are they being turned away from government hospitals because of a shortage of available beds, which is something the singer Lydia mentioned the other day? Or some other reason...

 

[Sheryl]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

One of the interesting things I've noticed lately from various of the Thai media/social figures in BKK posting publicly that they've had confirmed CV cases is that they're being tested and treated at private hospitals. I can't think of one of those types who's reported a test result or treatment from a government hospital.  But I guess the question is WHY?

 

Are they simply choosing to pay for higher priced testing and treatment at private hospitals?  Or are they being turned away from government hospitals because of a shortage of available beds, which is something the singer Lydia mentioned the other day? Or some other reason...

 

 

Many of these are asymptomatic or very mildly symptomatic people who do not meet guidelines for being tested but can afford to get it done privately. Happening in the US too.

[Sheryl]

14 minutes ago, Millian said:

But only 200 or so reported cases?

 

How can there be a shortage of beds?

 

It needs to be an isolation bed. Those are few and far between in government hospitals normal times. They can't put someone with COVID into a ward full of non-COVID patients.

 

Bear in mind too that most people with  COVID aren't severely ill and do not need hospital care, they just need to be kept away from non-infected people. Though I suppose the more "hi-so" types may insist on being admitted to a hospital regardless. And I imagine the private hospitals will be glad to accommodate them, for a price.

[Millian]

19 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

One of the interesting things I've noticed lately from various of the Thai media/social figures in BKK posting publicly that they've had confirmed CV cases is that they're being tested and treated at private hospitals. I can't think of one of those types who's reported a test result or treatment from a government hospital.  But I guess the question is WHY?

 

Are they simply choosing to pay for higher priced testing and treatment at private hospitals?  Or are they being turned away from government hospitals because of a shortage of available beds, which is something the singer Lydia mentioned the other day? Or some other reason...

 

Maybe due to fees for the test, the only people taking it are the ones who can afford private fees?

[CraigInBangkok]

3 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Though I suppose the more "hi-so" types may insist on being admitted to a hospital regardless. And I imagine the private hospitals will be glad to accommodate them, for a price.

I think if things hit the fan this will be the major issue ... the folks with the money to burn will be outraged if they don't get a bed for their mild cases 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

24 minutes ago, Millian said:

Maybe due to fees for the test, the only people taking it are the ones who can afford private fees?

 

How the Thai government is handling costs for this at the patient level is as clear as mud -- both for foreigners and for Thais too.

 

Foreigners:

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/business/2020/03/18/govt-oks-free-covid-19-treatment-for-foreigners-but-the-money-never-arrived/

 

Thais: (BTW, in the article below, where it says "people," it seems to mean only Thai people, not other kinds of non-Thai people.

 

 

 

Quote

 

Those who visited crowded spots including boxing stadiums and entertainment venues and have developed a cough, fever, nasal mucus and a sore throat are advised to wear face masks and immediately go for a coronavirus check at any public hospital.

 

If the test is positive, they will receive treatment free of charge.

 

However, the ministry said it will not provide free coronavirus tests for people who travel back from high-risk countries, those who interact with foreign tourists, people who have infected lungs without a cause, people whose family members travel to high-risk nations, those with respiratory diseases and medical personnel.

 

 

 

[CraigInBangkok]

3 minutes ago, oby said:

Reputable journalists

We have some left ? I thought they were a thing of the past since the advent of facebook and twitter

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

He posted a picture of a bill that came to 100,000 baht but said he was lucky to have insurance. 

He posed the question: "What will happen if the virus becomes even more serious?"

The poorer end of the scale are going to avoid testing altogether, avoid hospital treatment and fall sick faster than a sugar plantation fire.

Those who are now unemployed with no savings to speak of are heading home.... some of them will be super spreaders.

Good luck everyone here comes the plague!

Edited March 18, 2020 by hotchilli

[alexth]

7 hours ago, soalbundy said:

They are, it was announced a few days ago.

Not at a private hospital they aren't

[sapson]

interesting BKK post article

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1880810/hundreds-of-hospital-beds-readied