Private Hospitals - not great

[greenmonkey]

I know many people on the forum champion the private Thai hospitals but to be honest I have been left feeling pretty short changed of late (no pun intended). I do acknowledge that they are very modern and clean with attentive staff and little waiting times but my general gripe is that the doctors generally seem disinterested in spending any amount of time with the patient. And they have zero interest in explaining the diagnosis and treatments (and possible side effects). This is how today's visit went for an underarm bacterial infection:

 

Arrived at hospital, no waiting, straight in to see the specialist. Great start! The doc took all of 30 seconds to look at my condition, tell me it was infected and that I must take antibiotics followed by a look of 'was there anything else I can do for you'. That was it, 30 seconds!!! No explanations of how I may have got it, no advice on how to treat it (other than just take the medicine and follow the instructions). I pushed for some greater insight and asked about the antibiotic treatment and if it was necessary etc but got nowhere. So I left.

 

Okay - now to make payment and collect medicines (the bit we all hate). I thought to myself... consultation plus pills = 2k maximum! Sat down to be greeted will a bill for just under 3k... what the $%^& could this be for!? I checked the breakdown - the usual suspects were there but what jumped out was the charge for the antibiotics - 1600 baht for standard amoxicliln. I immediately told them to remove them from the bill and told them I would buy elsewhere. The girl behind the desk happily told me I could buy them from any pharmacy for 200 Baht - she was openly telling me that the hospital was ripping me off without even realizing it. Thanks for that!

 

One of the other other medicines they gave me was an antiseptic cream - i took it from them as it was about 100 baht. However, after looking it up on the net I decided against using it as it was advised to be used only for serious life threatening occassions due to the serious side effects it poses such as damage to the bone marrow. What the "£$% is this I thought to myself. Why are they prescribing this to me for a minor bacterial infection!??? There was no warning from anyone in the hospital about the side effects. This is what really angered me. Forget about the price gouging - i was ready for that and knew not to take it. But this... this I cannot accept. And is not the first time this has happened. Anyone else had similar experiences or am I just unlucky (or choosing a bad hospital)?

 

 

[clivebaxter]

Agree went to a so called not profit one beginning with Saint a while back in Bkk for UTI. Dr only said did I think I got it from the mrs -don't know should she come in for a test?- no answer that was it, given a script and out. The antibiotics I had never hear of so did buy them there. Bought amoxilin last month at the Dentist, 80 baht

[impulse]

1 hour ago, greenmonkey said:

The girl behind the desk happily told me I could buy them from any pharmacy for 200 Baht - she was openly telling me that the hospital was ripping me off without even realizing it.

She realized exactly what she was doing.  Happened to me quite often at hospital pharmacies.  Most patients don't care if they're covered 100% by insurance.

 

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, greenmonkey said:

the doctors generally seem disinterested in spending any amount of time with the patient. And they have zero interest in explaining the diagnosis and treatments (and possible side effects).

Depends on the doc and the condition. Mothering, they don't do. Getting into a debate over the diagnosis over a trivial skin rash w/ some farang wouldn't be particularly productive. Instructions for taking medications are typically given by the pharmacist at receipt. You also have the enclosed instructions.

 

Take it or leave it. Personally, I've no complaints, even at gov't hospitals. Don't like the diagnosis, want a 2nd opinion, do the same as in the West: go elsewhere.

 

Prices for medicines are higher at private hsps than at pharmacies. Didn't you know? Insurance helps.

 

 

1 hour ago, greenmonkey said:

One of the other other medicines they gave me was an antiseptic cream - i took it from them as it was about 100 baht. However, after looking it up on the net I decided against using it as it was advised to be used only for serious life threatening occassions due to the serious side effects it poses such as damage to the bone marrow.

What was the cream exactly, and what were the instructions? A 100 baht cream to be taken only for life-threatening conditions. Hmm.

 

You may have a case here: the doc probably should have told you that your life was in danger. That would indeed have been of interest. Still, having to spend only 300 baht for the meds needed to save your life--quite a bargain, son.  

 

[tomazbodner]

Can't write hospital name (we all know why), but I had kidney stones, and found Nurofen work the best for the pain when any of them gets stuck. But during this time blood pressure gets high, and worried about it, another doctor recommended Valsartan to counter that. Works a treat. Now... what he didn't tell me, beyond "paracetamol maybe being better than NSAIDs) was that taking Valsartan and Nurofen causes renal failure. Basically kidneys fail. Of course, since you get just pills with take x per day after meal instructions, I wasn't aware of these side effects until... well, until it was sort of too late.

 

That took 6+ months to recover from.

 

Lesson learned after good 250,000 baht additional hospital bill: always google up the side effects of every medicine prescribed before taking it. No matter who prescribes it. That way I've learned that another medicine prescribed was banned by much of the World 20 years ago...

[scubascuba3]

Private hospitals are looking to overcharge whenever possible, doctor never explains the medication he is prescribing, never asks if you already have the mandatory paracetamols, they also often hit you with the cost without a proper breakdown, once you ask to remove the unnecessaries and blatant over priced meds they will look at you like you are the first person who has ever asked.

 

It's better to try clinics for less serious stuff and investigate possible meds prior to going. Even clinics you've got to find a good one, some dodgy ones of those too like Buakhao

[4MyEgo]

I go out of my way to go AEK at Udon Thani after my first visit to the local GP who prescribed me antibiotics, for a condition I had, e.g. flu like symptoms, pre-pandemic, no inspection of mouth, touching of glands on throat or stethoscope on chest/back or pulse taken or blood pressure test carried out at 1st or second visit, 2nd visit because antibiotics weren't doing anything, so a 2nd dose of different antibiotics, not the ones you buy over the counter, the M&M type they provide you with, with no name of what you are taking.

 

Didn't get any better after the 2nd dose so the 3rd visit she sent me to the hospital for a chest x-ray and some oxygen, nothing on the x-ray as advised by hospital staff, oxygen did help, told to come to see the specialist the next day, 3 hours of waiting with lots of sick people, he was so young and didn't stop playing with his mobile, asking my wife symptoms, mmm, mmm, ahah, mmm, you ok getting better because phlegm coming out, the yellow phlegm was no brown, just rest and take paracetamol, that was it.

 

Mind you these were the early days of me living here and I turned to the wife, and said, I can't handle this, I feel like I'm dying, isn't there some other hospital I can go to, have private but cost money, W-T-F- who cares, let's go, so did the hour drive to AEK, saw an English speaking Dr within 10 minutes of registering, blood pressure check, weight taken and height measurement, Dr sent me off for a x-ray and as soon as it came back he said you have to see the chest specialist, I said when, he said now, please sit outside and she will call you, oh, ok.

 

Within 5 minutes she did a quick inspection of my mouth, felt my glandes around the throat, asked me some questions, gave her the background, said x-ray the chest x-ray was clear, sinus x-ray ordered, cha ching I'm thinking, came back clear, she then said, your wind pipe is narrow and it appears that you have a chest infection because she could hear the rattling when I would breath, she asked me if I have been anywhere that may have mould, thought about it for a while, then bingo, an old ceiling leak formed into a mouldy stain where I sit at my desk most of the time, so she believed my exposure to the mould caused the problem.

 

She prescribed me with a steroid puffer and antibiotics and a whole lot of other stuff, told me to eat something and start taking them straight away and that I would be much better by the time I got home, she was spot on, follow up appointment made for a week later, then 2 weeks then 4 weeks.

 

Didn't mind paying what I paid as she got me good, that was the main thing and yes the drugs there are expensive, but they are a business, not a government funded hospital and I am sure their staff cost more and are perhaps a bit more qualified ?    

 

 

[nickmondo]

this is why I use the best hospital in Thailand in Bkk

Not private.

Good enough to treat the King, good enough for me.

The first name is Queen.

its a <deleted> to register, but after that, its great

[Will B Good]

Had a bladder infection and was treated for two months using two different antibiotics......paying for regular visits in the meantime for 'reviews'.

 

Still in pain after two months and only then I was tested to see what was actually causing the infection???

 

I was given the correct antibiotic....one dose.....problem solved.

 

I read up to find that 70% of all such infections are caused be E Coli and the two antibiotics I received are totally useless in fighting it.

 

I am pretty sure the doctor knew what he was doing......spinning things out and maximising the hospitals income.........healthy patients are of no use to a private hospital.

[vandeventer]

8 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Can't write hospital name (we all know why), but I had kidney stones, and found Nurofen work the best for the pain when any of them gets stuck. But during this time blood pressure gets high, and worried about it, another doctor recommended Valsartan to counter that. Works a treat. Now... what he didn't tell me, beyond "paracetamol maybe being better than NSAIDs) was that taking Valsartan and Nurofen causes renal failure. Basically kidneys fail. Of course, since you get just pills with take x per day after meal instructions, I wasn't aware of these side effects until... well, until it was sort of too late.

 

That took 6+ months to recover from.

 

Lesson learned after good 250,000 baht additional hospital bill: always google up the side effects of every medicine prescribed before taking it. No matter who prescribes it. That way I've learned that another medicine prescribed was banned by much of the World 20 years ago...

Kidney stones can return and can be very painful. Also private hospitals are always chasing the buck. My two cents worth is to take at least 3 grams of vit. c every day, I take 6 grams a day for the last 20 years and never had trouble with stones of any kind and yet all 3 of my brothers in the USA has had big problems with stones.

[swm59nj]

I go to private hospitals. Just because it’s a private hospital doesn’t mean all the doctors or staff are great. I have changed doctors a few times.  And had issues with some staff.  
You can run into the same issues at government hospitals, clinic, etc.  Just depends on the person working there. 
If the question is cost.  Of course hospital fees and medicines cost more in a private facility.  That’s standard anywhere.  
And of course the effects of the outcome depends if you have health insurance or not. 

[lopburi3]

Some hospitals greatly overcharge for medications and general rule is buy elsewhere unless have insurance paying or one of the few medications only hospital can provide.  But hospitals do not make the decisions on what to provide - that is a doctor - and most doctors work at hospitals - not for hospitals.  Doctor selection is key - and if you feel not right fit you can easily change - even in the same hospital.  

[Will B Good]

3 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

Kidney stones can return and can be very painful. Also private hospitals are always chasing the buck. My two cents worth is to take at least 3 grams of vit. c every day, I take 6 grams a day for the last 20 years and never had trouble with stones of any kind and yet all 3 of my brothers in the USA has had big problems with stones.

How odd....never, ever taken vitamin C (other than in foods) and never had kidney stones.......must have been lucky.

[bert bloggs]

29 minutes ago, nickmondo said:

this is why I use the best hospital in Thailand in Bkk

Not private.

Good enough to treat the King, good enough for me.

The first name is Queen.

its a <deleted> to register, but after that, its great

I use the govt one in Satahip,very good and not expensive

[vandeventer]

2 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

How odd....never, ever taken vitamin C (other than in foods) and never had kidney stones.......must have been lucky.

Yes you are lucky, as you get very little Vit.C from food these days How this works is you body only uses 1 gram at most and when you pee the other 2 grams out it  goes over your kidneys and dissolves any stone formations.

[mikesil]

Always, I mean ALWAYS, check any prescribed med on one of the medical websites (webmd, etc.).  Mistakes here can be life threatening.  My experience: Routine blood test showed potassium level exactly at the high limit.  Doc prescribed a med.  Check on internet showed

1. Over the limit potassium is a life threatening condition.
2. Prescribed med is used to INCREASE potassium in patients with a deficiency.

 

[ThailandRyan]

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Private hospitals are looking to overcharge whenever possible, doctor never explains the medication he is prescribing, never asks if you already have the mandatory paracetamols, they also often hit you with the cost without a proper breakdown, once you ask to remove the unnecessaries and blatant over priced meds they will look at you like you are the first person who has ever asked.

 

It's better to try clinics for less serious stuff and investigate possible meds prior to going. Even clinics you've got to find a good one, some dodgy ones of those too like Buakhao

Never have seen a bill without a proper breakdown once I indicated I needed it for the Insurance claim.  Only happened one time and It was my fault for not asking.  I have never had one problem with the Oldest Private Hospital here in Bangkok I use.  The doctors take the time to go over everything in detail including the Pharmacist if I obtain a named brand medication from them instead of going to the Pharmacy on the outside of the hospital.  Clinics around us are few and far between and are always packed, it is why I will never go and wait for many hours in a que like I used to do in the North of Udon Thani at the Government hospital as the closest private hospital was an hour plus drive away.  The treatment at the Government hospital was good as well but then unless you speak Thai to a degree the medical staff barely communicate with you.

 

 

[lopburi3]

4 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Never have seen a bill without a proper breakdown once I indicated I needed it for the Insurance claim.

You do have to ask however - request detail receipt - or you just get a cash payment receipt with basic category totals.

 

[scubascuba3]

9 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Never have seen a bill without a proper breakdown once I indicated I needed it for the Insurance claim.  Only happened one time and It was my fault for not asking.  I have never had one problem with the Oldest Private Hospital here in Bangkok I use.  The doctors take the time to go over everything in detail including the Pharmacist if I obtain a named brand medication from them instead of going to the Pharmacy on the outside of the hospital.  Clinics around us are few and far between and are always packed, it is why I will never go and wait for many hours in a que like I used to do in the North of Udon Thani at the Government hospital as the closest private hospital was an hour plus drive away.  The treatment at the Government hospital was good as well but then unless you speak Thai to a degree the medical staff barely communicate with you.

 

 

Ok so in Pattaya I've found this to be the norm, you go to the cashier to pay, they say xx baht, you balk and you say can i have an invoice, it shows only meds total and bill padding nurse etc, then you ask for meds breakdown, at that point you're getting somewhere and can take the rubbish off the bill

[sandyf]

12 hours ago, greenmonkey said:

One of the other other medicines they gave me was an antiseptic cream - i took it from them as it was about 100 baht. However, after looking it up on the net I decided against using it as it was advised to be used only for serious life threatening occassions due to the serious side effects it poses such as damage to the bone marrow.

I have been seeing a dermatologist at a government hospital for some time. I see her the same day as the other doctor so there is no consultation fee,  it is 100 baht irrespective of the number of doctors you see on that visit.

These days it is only a visual inspection but she still  spends about 10 minutes discussing the condition and checking up if further medication is required.

What you may have been prescribed is a steroidal antibiotic cream which can only be used for short periods of time.  I was prescribed that initially and she went to great lengths to explain why it could only be used for up to 4 weeks and I shouldn't try and obtain any extra on my own.

I had a similar explanation at another government hospital over the steroidal eye drops I had been prescribed.

[Whale]

My own experience with my hospital (private big name Bangkok) is they just rack up prices and charges and use silly referrals. I have insurance so thats not such a bother but a lot of the doctors are simply unable to sit and have a valid conversation about my condition or answer to my expectations of a well paid doctor in one of the countries leading hospitals. I dont know if they are scared of discussion or simply look down on patients. It was one of the reasons I decided to leave Thailand.

[userabcd]

52 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

Yes you are lucky, as you get very little Vit.C from food these days How this works is you body only uses 1 gram at most and when you pee the other 2 grams out it  goes over your kidneys and dissolves any stone formations.

Just eat common fruit and vegetables.

 

One will get more than the RDA of vit c from that every day very easily.

[newnative]

     Been here 11 years and I can say I've not had a bad experience in any hospital here.  Unlike the OP's experience, the doctors I have seen have all given me plenty of time during an appointment.  Medical care here, for me, is lightyear's better than in the US.  I still marvel how it is so easy to get an appointment with little or no waiting--just getting an appointment was often a struggle in the US.

     Recently in the late evening I broke a tooth with a filling while flossing.  Called the hospital at 8am the next morning and they could see me at 10:30.  Did the exam, we decided a crown was the best choice, temporary crown was done, and out in about an hour.  Went back about 5 days later for the permanent crown, which is working well and has a 1 year warranty.   Whether I've had medical tests, medical procedures, lasik eye surgery, treatments, dental work, or whatever, I've been happy with the results and the cost.

[DUNROAMIN]

Clinics first, after a while you will find a good one. Private hospital if surgery required.

[lopburi3]

1 minute ago, DUNROAMIN said:

Clinics first, after a while you will find a good one. Private hospital if surgery required.

Other than perhaps in CMAI private clinics are very much a mixed bag as many appear to be pill sellers - very important to know the doctor, as in hospital and use a clinic that you know.  Most quality doctors in Thailand work at hospitals, not clinics, as hospitals are open to all and have facilities for testing onsite.  That said there is a place for clinics as after hours treatment from good government hospitals doctors many places.  But these are normally not open full time.

[crazykopite]

I dont use private hospital I go to my local Chinese pharmacy she is excellent and always knows what to give me I pulled a muscle in my back last month she gave me a red strip of 10 small tablets 35 baht   

48 hours later I was feeling fantastic all told I took 5 of the tablets and have kept 5 as an emergency once she told me to go to the government hospital which I did and once I knew the problem I went back to her for the medication as even the government hospital medication is expensive 

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, DUNROAMIN said:

Clinics first, after a while you will find a good one. Private hospital if surgery required.

Or pharmacy first for the small routine stuff. Probably where the OP should have gone. Find the most knowledgeable pharmacist in your neighborhood: choose the pharmacist, not the pharmacy. ???? No relief, lighten your wallet further at a clinic or hsp.

 

Still waiting to hear the name of this 100-baht cream to be used ONLY for life-threatening conditions. Might be good always to have on hand--just in case, kind of like a fire extinguisher or fire hose box.

 

Yeah, read the brochure w/ the instructions accompanying a medicine. Look on the 'net where you don't need a magnifying glass. Now that has been valuable new information to come outta this thread. Who knew? 'Course every med may likely have possible side effects and contraindications and testimonials attesting to disastrous experiences. You may scare yourself into not taking it, esp. if you can't read well and misunderstand what you read. Happens occasionally, no?

 

More seriously, the forum is a great resource for getting recommendations for the best docs. Use it. Dr. Anna at BPH, for example, will explain ALL about any skin condition you'd like to show her. And biopsy it!

 

Well, let's get out the popcorn. Should be a long thread as our members all enjoy relating their horror stories and get in their whinges about supposed bill padding and having to pay.

 

[Lacessit]

I use private hospitals because I don't like waiting six hours to be seen by a doctor.

I check every medicine I am prescribed for side effects and interactions, because some Thai doctors are just shills for the pharmaceutical industry. I have caught several quite dangerous medications that way, such as one that aids in snapping tendons, and another that causes hallucinations.

My main beef with doctors here is only one has ever asked me to describe my previous medical history, which is quite extensive. i would have thought any doctor worth the salt would want to know the previous history of a patient, and what medications they are currently taking.

 

[Sheryl]

Your experience will depend entirely on the individual doctor. Take the time to choose well and you will not encountert these issues. 

 

Leave it to the clerks at the registration desk to direct you to a doctor and you'll be sent to whomever is least busy which is not a good sign. 

 

Explaining causes of a condition etc to the patient is not part of Thai medical culture (patients being assumed incapable of understanding and uninterested in anything but receiving medication)  Doctors who have trained in a Western country will have been socialized to western expectations. There are plenty of them to be found in the major cities but you need to specifically look for them..

 

Being able to choose a doctor is one of the chief advantages of the private  hospitals.

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Your 3 experience will depend entirely on the individual doctor. Take the time to choose well and you will not encountert these issues. 

 

Leave it to the clerks at the registration desk to direct you to a doctor and you'll be sent to whomever is least busy which is not a good sign. 

 

Explaining causes of a condition etc to the patient is not part of Thai medical culture (patientsbeing assumed incapable of understanding and uninterested in anything but receiving medication)  Doctors who have trained in a Western country will have been socialized to western expectations. There are plenty of them to be found in the major cities but you need to specifically look for them..

 

Being able to choose a doctor is one of the chief advantages of the private  hospitals.

That is why I chose the hospital near where I am after looking up all of the doctors on staff through the hospital website.  Each doctors background is also listed which does help and for those specialist Iuse now I emailed them my information to ensure they could assist me when I scheduled an appointment.

 

The other thing I have done and still do on every visit is take a printout I created of my medical conditions prior doctors and their information as well as where they are located and a list of current doctors and medications taken for my issues.  This way it keeps from being prescribed a medication that would have a conflict and be detrimental to my health.  I have also downloaded this as well as all of my medical history into my Cell-phone.  The hospital I use also has an App through line and you can obtain your entire history from all of your visits and labs which the doctors also access.