Time to find a new hospital in CNX

[sqwakvfr]

For the past 7 years I have been loyal to Chiang Mai Ram hospital.  All of my medical needs have been serviced there .  The first three years I was pleased with the service and did not mine paying private hospital costs(the major services I had done at Ram were two endoscopies and one colonoscopy) The Gastroenterologist was outstanding. All other services were relatively minor. 

 

The last two visits to Ram were very disappointing.  On the first visit the doctor prescribed a weeks supply of antibiotics.  On the second visit I was prescribed another week of the same antibiotics.  But this time the cost of outpatient medication was 50% higher.  

 

I went back to Ram and asked about the 50% inflation for the cost of the same medication.  I was told there was a charge for a 150 Ml bottle of saline solution.  Ram charged me 150 Baht for this saline.  The normal price for the same product is as low as 40 Baht.  I was also charged 150 baht for an 80 Ml bottle of a disinfectant.  The main ingredients of this disinfectant are similar to common mouthwash.   In the end it is 300 Baht but these two items were not itemized and when did saline become medication?  Also, I was never given the option to buy these items at the local pharmacy. Oh well it is what it is and time to find another hospital. 

 

Now I am asking for those members on this forum if they have visited McCormick Hospital or Bangkok Hospital? Also can anyone recommend another hospital in Chiang Mai that I should consider? 

 

If anyone has visited these two hospitals could you me tell if you are satisfied with your experience.  I am not asking for anything specific and I know the pros and cons of going to a private hospital.  

 

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by sqwakvfr

[ChaiyaTH]

I always go to Mc Cormick hospital, my son was born there too. I had a accident like 2-3 years ago by bike, after arriving at Ram I was mistreated badly as well they missed a bone fracture on my wrist. Only thing I like about Ram was the doctor who studied micro surgery in Japan, but he could come to McCormick too.

I remember having to walk into the surgery room myself at Ram too, like some animal place, and then left alone there without any support, until the 'team' finally showed up 40 minutes later.

 

If anything serious or having an insurance, I will only go to Bangkok Hospital in the future. At least they have a branch everywhere too, worth the money 3 times. Most times in smaller cities the specialists work and come to any of the hospitals, so actually it is senseless to go to Ram at all (i guess).

Edited June 13, 2022 by ChaiyaTH

[lordblackader]

Be it a public hospital with some private facilities, I've always been treated excellently at Rajavej Hospital, both as an inpatient and out patient. 

Unless you want a serious headache, avoid Lanna Hospital. 

[beau thai]

I think all hospitals here inflate the cost of pharmacy items and I buy outside wherever possible. Its my experience that as we are treated by individuals, the experience inevitably varies. We have had good and bad at Bangkok hospital, good at Rajavej, good and bad at Ram.  Good experince at Sriphat and Lanna but, again, it is very dependent on the individual doctor/surgeon/nurses. Consultants move around and some serve at more than one hospital of course.

But Ram is my preference for anything serious. Not cheap though

[sqwakvfr]

2 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

I always go to Mc Cormick hospital, my son was born there too. I had a accident like 2-3 years ago by bike, after arriving at Ram I was mistreated badly as well they missed a bone fracture on my wrist. Only thing I like about Ram was the doctor who studied micro surgery in Japan, but he could come to McCormick too.

I remember having to walk into the surgery room myself at Ram too, like some animal place, and then left alone there without any support, until the 'team' finally showed up 40 minutes later.

 

If anything serious or having an insurance, I will only go to Bangkok Hospital in the future. At least they have a branch everywhere too, worth the money 3 times. Most times in smaller cities the specialists work and come to any of the hospitals, so actually it is senseless to go to Ram at all (i guess).

Thank you your comments are very helpful.  McCormick is #1 on my list.  As for my experience at Ram the only department that impressed me was Gastroenterology.  The Doctor was a true professional.  He even offered me the chance to buy the prescribed medication at a outside pharmacy if I wanted.  Because of this doctor I chose to buy the medications from the hospital.  This is something I will try and not do again.  

[sqwakvfr]

55 minutes ago, lordblackader said:

Be it a public hospital with some private facilities, I've always been treated excellently at Rajavej Hospital, both as an inpatient and out patient. 

Unless you want a serious headache, avoid Lanna Hospital. 

Thank you.

[Thailand]

3 colonoscopies (Ulcerative Colitis) as in patient because of underlying problems  at Rajavej over the years no problems.

[sqwakvfr]

46 minutes ago, Thailand said:

3 colonoscopies (Ulcerative Colitis) as in patient because of underlying problems  at Rajavej over the years no problems.

Thanks.  is this hospital near the Centara Riverside Hotel? 

[SiamAndy]

Does the staff speak sufficient english at Sriphat, McCormick, or Rajavej?

[Thailand]

2 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Thanks.  is this hospital near the Centara Riverside Hotel? 

It is. (Formerly Holiday Inn)

Some English spoken especially by specialists. 

[FolkGuitar]

3 hours ago, SiamAndy said:

Does the staff speak sufficient english at Sriphat, McCormick, or Rajavej?

Rajavej has translators on staff for English and Japanese. I've never had a problem there.

Sriphat has always given me very good care, too, with no real language problems.

[sqwakvfr]

22 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

Rajavej has translators on staff for English and Japanese. I've never had a problem there.

Sriphat has always given me very good care, too, with no real language problems.

Thanks.  This is good to hear.  I now have more options to consider.  

[sqwakvfr]

Does anyone have experience at Maharaj Hospital? 

[Mahseer]

13 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Does anyone have experience at Maharaj Hospital? 

I haven't but just in case you are not aware Maharaj is a government hospital. All others mentioned here are private.

[Lacessit]

I used Rajavej when I lived in Chiang Mai, the woman dentist who is the head of the clinic is very good, speaks good English. The other doctors were for minor illnesses.

 

I come down from Chiang Rai every six months for a check cystoscopy at Bangkok Hospital, Dr. Wittawat Rawiyotai is the urologist. Very professional. Unlike many doctors here, he doesn't mind being questioned. 18,000 baht for the cystoscopy, which IMO is quite reasonable.

[cnx1204]

I would think all medicines and supplies will more expensive at any hospital than if you were to buy them from a pharmacy.   The medical supplies have an office to maintain, computers to maintain, overhead, personnel costs, warehouse/storage costs (environmentally controlled, of course), etc.   Every hospital, private or government, has overhead.  If you object to the hospital charges, I would think you could, as you mentioned having done before, just get the doctor's list of meds for your ailment (and written prescription when required) and buy them at your local pharmacy.

 

I frequently do that when I need a refill and don't want to pay for a hospital visit, etc., just buy from the closest pharmacy.

[FolkGuitar]

5 hours ago, cnx1204 said:

I would think all medicines and supplies will more expensive at any hospital than if you were to buy them from a pharmacy.  

 

 

With respect, I get my glaucoma medicine from Sriphat Medical Center hospital, as they are MUCH cheaper than when I priced them at the various pharmacies around Chiang Mai. In one case, one of the pharmacies wanted 1250 baht for the same bottle of eye drops that I get from Sriphat for 750 baht.

[arithai12]

On 6/14/2022 at 5:12 PM, FolkGuitar said:

 

With respect, I get my glaucoma medicine from Sriphat Medical Center hospital, as they are MUCH cheaper than when I priced them at the various pharmacies around Chiang Mai. In one case, one of the pharmacies wanted 1250 baht for the same bottle of eye drops that I get from Sriphat for 750 baht.

I have the same experience for one of my medicines, and then again for other medicines it can be different. There is no fixed rule that a medicine will cost more or less at a hospital or from a pharmacy, and costs change wildly (factor of 2) from one hospital to another.

To keep in mind: rarely Hospital A will fill a prescription from Hospital B.

[Nup Nup]

For what its worth.... Lanna Hosp. gets my vote and I say that as someone who has been going to Lanna for over 20 years.  In my lifetime having done a lot of traveling to different countries with my business and going to doctors and hospitals in several different countries including the USA, , of all of them, I rate Lanna as number 1 of all.  I have had an amputation and several other serious needs for medical treatment and I have never seen an overall, all things considered hospital like Lanna.  Being diabetic I am currently going for treatment on an every other day basis. No. 1 says it better than anything else I could say.

[CMoldie]

To the OP. I see you mention gastroentrology in one of your posts. If that is important to you, Sriphat has a specialist gastroenterology unit, in the Centre of Medical Excellence Clinic, that has an endoscopy unit attached. Many of the doctors are on the staff of the CMU medical school. I have been going there (more regularly than I would wish!) for years

 

I can confirm Folk Guitar's comment that Sriphat are usually as cheap as, and sometimes cheaper than, thee average pharmacy.

 

The Gastroenterology unit is here:

 

https://goo.gl/maps/hY65ixpJokznQK69A

[EricTh]

On 6/13/2022 at 1:59 PM, sqwakvfr said:

Thank you your comments are very helpful.  McCormick is #1 on my list.  

Unless you know how to speak Thai at intermediate level and above, there are not many options left. I can speak Thai so I get to have more options.

 

I think a lot of foreigners got their Covid vaccination at that hospital and the staff there do speak passable English.

 

Their prices should be much cheaper than Ram hospital

 

Edited June 18, 2022 by EricTh

[EricTh]

On 6/14/2022 at 12:48 PM, sqwakvfr said:

Does anyone have experience at Maharaj Hospital? 

 

I have only bad experience there. Many years ago, they made foreigners wait 4 hours just to see the doctor, I even saw some Thai people cutting the queue ahead of me many times as arranged by the nurses.

 

It's a long wait and some of the doctors are actually intern.

 

There seem to be a different section for foreigners nowadays with higher prices.

 

 

Edited June 18, 2022 by EricTh

[EricTh]

On 6/13/2022 at 1:04 PM, lordblackader said:

Be it a public hospital with some private facilities, I've always been treated excellently at Rajavej Hospital, both as an inpatient and out patient. 

Unless you want a serious headache, avoid Lanna Hospital. 

 

Mind telling us your detailed experience at Lanna hospital? 

 

[Greenside]

On 6/13/2022 at 5:36 PM, Thailand said:

It is. (Formerly Holiday Inn)

Some English spoken especially by specialists. 

There is an English speaking liaison on the staff at Rajaveh if you ever need help.  Otherwise all the medical staff we have ever dealt with have had good or at the very least workable English.  A lot of renovation there in recent times and the prices are not as low as they used to be (I'd say much the same as Sriphat for outpatients) but less than RAM or BKK.  A long overdue multistory car park is nearing completion at the rear and in the meantime they have a very efficient Golf Cart shuttle running.

[cardinalblue]

You choose a hospital by the dept/doctor not by the name of the hospital….

 

To bitch and moan over 300B in medication charges is a bit too much and one has way too much time on one’s hands

 

i had a total hip replacement at Ram - estimated 350k and price came in at 300k….Bkk hosp gave  me  a 450K so I chose Ram since same doctor…

 

while all hosp over Medicate and charge ridiculous med prices, room nursing and physician prices still much much lower than West….you come out way ahead b/c Thai health culture makes their profit thru medication charges…their choice not ours….

 

Bkk hosp neurology on my avoid list b/c gave me a 16k unnecessary blood test w/o warning me the costs but made a big deal about telling me about a 6k procedure test….

 

everyone will have negative experiences with hospitals eventually but some have legitimate complaints and yet others have ridiculously petty complaints….

 

Again, choose a hospital by its Dept…Ram has an excellent Gastro dept and will use them again in a heartbeat…why sweat a few hundred baht extra due to inflation or whatever they say…you have much bigger worries with energy prices up 40 - 50% globally…. Try renting a car in the west or buy now international any Asian airline tickets….

[sqwakvfr]

19 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

You choose a hospital by the dept/doctor not by the name of the hospital….

 

To bitch and moan over 300B in medication charges is a bit too much and one has way too much time on one’s hands

 

i had a total hip replacement at Ram - estimated 350k and price came in at 300k….Bkk hosp gave  me  a 450K so I chose Ram since same doctor…

 

while all hosp over Medicate and charge ridiculous med prices, room nursing and physician prices still much much lower than West….you come out way ahead b/c Thai health culture makes their profit thru medication charges…their choice not ours….

 

Bkk hosp neurology on my avoid list b/c gave me a 16k unnecessary blood test w/o warning me the costs but made a big deal about telling me about a 6k procedure test….

 

everyone will have negative experiences with hospitals eventually but some have legitimate complaints and yet others have ridiculously petty complaints….

 

Again, choose a hospital by its Dept…Ram has an excellent Gastro dept and will use them again in a heartbeat…why sweat a few hundred baht extra due to inflation or whatever they say…you have much bigger worries with energy prices up 40 - 50% globally…. Try renting a car in the west or buy now international any Asian airline tickets….

I did not bitch and moan about a 300 Baht charge because it was not medication.  In fact I was charged 1000 Baht for a 7 day supply of Amoxicillin.  This I am bitching and moaning about.  The 300 Baht was for a small bottle of saline and disinfectant.  I was a regular at Ram Gastro.  I have had 2 endoscopies and a colonoscopy and was very pleased with the doctor and procedures. Do not mischaracterize my comments because you are not qualified to judge me.. Also I don “sweat” over 300 Baht.  PERIOD.

 

“

Edited June 26, 2022 by sqwakvfr

[SammyJ]

I understand your concerns -- my advice, as I think has been suggested, is to find the dr you want, or trust--it is the doctor, not the building that is important.  Fortunately, here, you can read bio information on most doctors on the hospital's website--see their education, additional training (in or outside of Thailand) and their level of experience.  Plus, you can ask further on sites like this, and many are often willing--privately, via message, to share pros and cons.

 

The last thing i would offer is that, long ago, i quit buying any medication at CM Ram--i didn't wait for any doctor to "give me the option", I simply told them to write the names of the meds and I would buy them locally.  It was my choice, not theirs.  Occasionally, there are meds that one can only get via dr order at the hospital, but that is not too often.

 

I also have had good experiences at Sriphat and McCormick--again, i went there for particular doctors i wanted to see.  Find the doctor/specialist you want, as many work at multiple hospitals, and not be concerned about the building.

[SammyJ]

17 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

You choose a hospital by the dept/doctor not by the name of the hospital….

 

To bitch and moan over 300B in medication charges is a bit too much and one has way too much time on one’s hands

 

i had a total hip replacement at Ram - estimated 350k and price came in at 300k….Bkk hosp gave  me  a 450K so I chose Ram since same doctor…

 

while all hosp over Medicate and charge ridiculous med prices, room nursing and physician prices still much much lower than West….you come out way ahead b/c Thai health culture makes their profit thru medication charges…their choice not ours….

 

Bkk hosp neurology on my avoid list b/c gave me a 16k unnecessary blood test w/o warning me the costs but made a big deal about telling me about a 6k procedure test….

 

everyone will have negative experiences with hospitals eventually but some have legitimate complaints and yet others have ridiculously petty complaints….

 

Again, choose a hospital by its Dept…Ram has an excellent Gastro dept and will use them again in a heartbeat…why sweat a few hundred baht extra due to inflation or whatever they say…you have much bigger worries with energy prices up 40 - 50% globally…. Try renting a car in the west or buy now international any Asian airline tickets….

I agree, as you can see from my other post comment here--but i would not choose a dept, but an individual doctor--i actually see a neurologist at Bkk Cm who is excellent, so not actually fair to condemn an entire dept---and it is not often "sweating a few hundred baht", from my lengthy experience at Ram--with my entire family--the increased costs of meds can sometimes be much more significant--however, easily solved, but simply telling them--dr or pharmacy, you will be buying meds outside locally--never had a problem doing that for years now.

Additionally, any test a dr wants, i always ask in advance the cost and get it in writing--no surprises--whether you are here or in the US, or UK, or wherever, with health care you must be an advocate for yourself--i question, politely and respectfully, all tests and treatments doctors suggest--i have found the rare doctor that objects--afterall,as i share politely, we are talking about tests, surgery, procedures to be done on my body, not theirs, so certainly, i will have questions--if a doctor objects to that, than you have the wrong doctor.

[cardinalblue]

The definition of sqwak - to complain or protest noisily or peevishly….

 

fYI - saline is a medication…one knows that if one works in the field or took the time to look it up…

 

one is entitled to one’s own opinion but not to one’s own facts…

[sqwakvfr]

18 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

The definition of sqwak - to complain or protest noisily or peevishly….

 

fYI - saline is a medication…one knows that if one works in the field or took the time to look it up…

 

one is entitled to one’s own opinion but not to one’s own facts…

Sqwak, is a term used in aviation as well.  So it has nothing to do with your ASS-umption.  Also, water and salt is now medication?  I did not know that.  Generally speaking medication is any drug or preparation used to treat and cure illness.  Next time I get an illness I will use salt and water. 

 

FYI-When an air traffic controller tells a pilot to change a transponder code.the command is “Sqwak”.  I express my opinion and own facts.  The command to Swakvfr = set transponder code to 1200.  These are facts and I own them.  VFR= Visual Flight Rules.  But I guess you are not familiar with the aviation and I am not familiar with the medical field.