ok to show up at hospital w/out appointment to see specialist?

[allencraig]

Sorry to ask such a specific question, but I'd read here than someone was able to go to Siriraj as a new patient without an appointment and see a psychiatrist. In the past at Chula and Ramathibodi I've been able to register as a new patient, but needed to return another day to see a therapist.

 

Siriraj doesn't respond to emails it seems, and on the phone they say as a new patient I absolutely cannot see any specialist doctor unless I go through the ER, and appointments are two months out! But I'm tempted to just go anyway, register as a new patient and ask if I can see a psychiatrist (I'm looking to refill a Ritalin prescription.)

 

Can anyone say there's a chance this could work?

[4MyEgo]

I believe public hospitals require an appointment as their specialists might not be there day in, day out, but I went to a private once and saw a specialist straight after I saw the doctor. 

[bunnydrops]

his day in?

[allencraig]

5 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I believe public hospitals require an appointment as their specialists might not be there day in, day out, but I went to a private once and saw a specialist straight after I saw the doctor. 

Hi, thanks for your input.

I believe the private hospitals are much more accomodating to walk-ins, especially w/ farang. ($$) Plus, they are just more organized. But because I'm on a tight budget at the moment I'm trying to navigate the government hospital system. It's worked for me in the past, but I'm in a time crunch now, too, so I've kinda backed myself into a corner.

[4MyEgo]

3 minutes ago, allencraig said:

It's worked for me in the past, but I'm in a time crunch now, too, so I've kinda backed myself into a corner.

 

You do what you got to do and if that means playing the dumb act, then give it a go, if you get in, then all and good, if you don't, then looks like you'll have to wait.

 

Maybe a Dr can give you a prescription. Alternatively you can try getting it from a pharmacy, I get all of my meds by ordering online, expensive, but I don't need to go to hospitals.

 

If you want to try this route, PM me and I will give you the pharmacist details, I get my meds within a day or two for 35 baht delivery. 

[Sheryl]

He can't get Ritalin at a pharmacy. It is strictly controlled and only hospitals have it.

 

OP no one can guarantee but if you show up early in the day and explain that you just need a prescription refill (and if necessary lay on some charm while at the same time being persistant) odds are you'll succeed. Siriraj is a big hospital and I would expect there to be  at least one psychiatrist on duty each (working) day.

 

A better option, and also on that side of the river, is the government psych hospital, they always have psychiatrists on duty and a walk in OPD (must arrive early)  https://www.somdet.go.th/public/Eng/Outpatient_services.php

[allencraig]

19 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

A better option, and also on that side of the river, is the government psych hospital

Ah, Somdet, yes. The receptionist mentioned Somdet as an option to try (although I didn't understand her until I just read your post.) I'd visited their website in the past and because not a single link worked other than the one you offered, I gave up. But even your link page basically says new patients just need to show up before 10:30, so just going by that it seems like a much better option than Siriraj.

 

Sheryl comes through again! Thanks. I will try them. (I have my charm & persistance act well practiced.)

[impulse]

The other thing I'd suggest is to pick your hospital for the long term, because you're not going to walk away with a script that you can take anywhere.   You have to get it filled at that hospital's pharmacy.

 

For future refills, you'll be calling in to get the prescription refilled at your chosen hospital (no need to see the doc every time).  While it may be tempting to pick one across town for the quicker appointment today, you don't want to be schlepping all the way across town to get refills every 60 days, which is the most they're allowed to prescribe at one time.

If it is an emergency and you do need to go across town today, start the process again at a local hospital long before you need a refill.

 

[kingstonkid]

18 hours ago, allencraig said:

Hi, thanks for your input.

I believe the private hospitals are much more accomodating to walk-ins, especially w/ farang. ($$) Plus, they are just more organized. But because I'm on a tight budget at the moment I'm trying to navigate the government hospital system. It's worked for me in the past, but I'm in a time crunch now, too, so I've kinda backed myself into a corner.

Question if you are taking Ritalin then that usually means it is an ongoing issue. Why do you not go back to the doctor you saw before and set up a schedule.

[brianthainess]

22 hours ago, allencraig said:

Hi, thanks for your input.

I believe the private hospitals are much more accomodating to walk-ins, especially w/ farang. ($$) Plus, they are just more organized. But because I'm on a tight budget at the moment I'm trying to navigate the government hospital system. It's worked for me in the past, but I'm in a time crunch now, too, so I've kinda backed myself into a corner.

As said specialists in govt. hospitals are normally on duty only one day a week (then at their private one.) May I suggest you phone your local hospital to find out what day he'll be there (ours has a list up with what days each one is there) a Thai friend could help. You don't need to go to ER just walk in to reception.

[scorecard]

On 5/26/2021 at 3:42 PM, 4MyEgo said:

I believe public hospitals require an appointment as their specialists might not be there day in, day out, but I went to a private once and saw a specialist straight after I saw the doctor. 

Keeping in mind that many specialists (psychiatrists is a good example) work 2 or more locations (hospitals, institutes etc.), as well as running their own clinic, so they can't see every walk in on the day.

 

But I'm aware of a case where a farang who had developed strange/dangerous actions and his friends decided to carefully get him, quickly to a psychiatrist.

 

On suggestions from the broader community they went quickly to the Naval hospital at Sattahip. The receptionist quickly called the nurses assigned to the hospitals resident psychiatrist.

 

The head nurse (excellent English) called the psychiatrist (excellent English) at his nearby home and he was there within 10 minutes and all concerned were very impressed with the consultation, the attitudes and care of all concerned and impressed/relieved that the dr. was a good listener, and impressed that a very mild medication was prescribed.

 

The doctor privately spoke to 2 friends who had taken the farang to the hospital and suggested they carefully/discretely monitor his behavior 24 hours every day, ensure he took the tablets correctly for 5 days and come back. At this discussion the dr. presented his qualifications from the UK, saying that he wanted all concerned to know that we has appropriately qualified.

 

But Dr. also asked that one of the patients' friends call him a few hours before the expected time for them to arrive at the hospital and give a summary of the last 5 days.

 

At second visit the medication was stopped and patient agreed to visit the dr., for a 1 hr friendly conversation every 2 weeks.

 

That happened and is now once every 90 days.

 

All concerned very impressed.

 

Total costs involved (at about 6 months) around 2,0000Baht.  

 

 

 

Edited May 27, 2021 by scorecard

[allencraig]

6 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

Question

Because I think the doc I'd been seeing at Ramathibodi doesn't like me. At all. We've had disagreements in the past, and this past visit she recommended switching me off Ritalin to an unproven antidepressant. Despite the fact that the Ritalin had been working well for me.

[allencraig]

18 hours ago, impulse said:

The other thing I'd suggest is to pick your hospital for the long term, because you're not going to walk away with a script that you can take anywhere.   You have to get it filled at that hospital's pharmacy.

 

For future refills, you'll be calling in to get the prescription refilled at your chosen hospital (no need to see the doc every time).  While it may be tempting to pick one across town for the quicker appointment today, you don't want to be schlepping all the way across town to get refills every 60 days, which is the most they're allowed to prescribe at one time.

If it is an emergency and you do need to go across town today, start the process again at a local hospital long before you need a refill.

 

This is really good advice, thanks.

Right now my situation is such that I'm leaving Thailand on short notice, so I'm trying to get a last prescription before moving to a country where I know getting them will be an even bigger pain in the butt, and considerably more expensive.

[allencraig]

On 5/27/2021 at 2:07 PM, scorecard said:

Keeping in mind that many specialists (psychiatrists is a good example) work 2 or more locations (hospitals, institutes etc.), as well as running their own clinic, so they can't see every walk in on the day.

 

But I'm aware of a case where a farang who had developed strange/dangerous actions and his friends decided to carefully get him, quickly to a psychiatrist.

 

On suggestions from the broader community they went quickly to the Naval hospital at Sattahip. The receptionist quickly called the nurses assigned to the hospitals resident psychiatrist.

 

The head nurse (excellent English) called the psychiatrist (excellent English) at his nearby home and he was there within 10 minutes and all concerned were very impressed with the consultation, the attitudes and care of all concerned and impressed/relieved that the dr. was a good listener, and impressed that a very mild medication was prescribed.

 

The doctor privately spoke to 2 friends who had taken the farang to the hospital and suggested they carefully/discretely monitor his behavior 24 hours every day, ensure he took the tablets correctly for 5 days and come back. At this discussion the dr. presented his qualifications from the UK, saying that he wanted all concerned to know that we has appropriately qualified.

 

But Dr. also asked that one of the patients' friends call him a few hours before the expected time for them to arrive at the hospital and give a summary of the last 5 days.

 

At second visit the medication was stopped and patient agreed to visit the dr., for a 1 hr friendly conversation every 2 weeks.

 

That happened and is now once every 90 days.

 

All concerned very impressed.

 

Total costs involved (at about 6 months) around 2,0000Baht.  

 

 

 

Wow, that's impressive (and impassioned) care!

[allencraig]

On 5/26/2021 at 7:44 PM, Sheryl said:

He can't get Ritalin at a pharmacy. It is strictly controlled and only hospitals have it.

 

OP no one can guarantee but if you show up early in the day and explain that you just need a prescription refill (and if necessary lay on some charm while at the same time being persistant) odds are you'll succeed. Siriraj is a big hospital and I would expect there to be  at least one psychiatrist on duty each (working) day.

 

A better option, and also on that side of the river, is the government psych hospital, they always have psychiatrists on duty and a walk in OPD (must arrive early)  https://www.somdet.go.th/public/Eng/Outpatient_services.php

So I just made it there by the listed 10:45 cutoff time for new patients. However their morning session had already ended. The place was nearly deserted.  I could still register, but I'd need to wait until 1pm to then see a psychiatrist. That would have been ok by me, but two staff there took some time to shuttle me through an immediate ER visit with any solicitation from me. That was good time-wise, but ER docs can only prescribe meds for two weeks (I was informed), and make up a follow-up appointment for me when I could get a full months-worth of meds.

 

I don't think they even charged me for the doctor consultation and the price for the generic Methylphenidate (fingers crossed) was crazy low. So all-in-all, a successful visit and I'll return here for sure. Plus, I got to ride on the cute BTS Gold line shuttle bus things. They're on wheels, but also guided by a track for power.

 

 

[PPMMUU]

Since Siriraj is a teaching hospital, one of the better way to just show up and meet with a specialist in that day is to participate in teaching session.