Questions about hospitals

[TheLaughingMan]

My mom needs to get checked out for a possible kidney issue.  Is sukhumvit hospital decent?  Anybody prefer other hospitals?  Would it be very expensive to get a full check up with multiple tests?  If she got medical insurance for her stay here is that just for emergencies or does it cover other stuff?  Thanks in advance.

[Sparktrader]

Yanhee is good hospital.

[ThailandRyan]

7 minutes ago, TheLaughingMan said:

My mom needs to get checked out for a possible kidney issue.  Is sukhumvit hospital decent?  Anybody prefer other hospitals?  Would it be very expensive to get a full check up with multiple tests?  If she got medical insurance for her stay here is that just for emergencies or does it cover other stuff?  Thanks in advance.

Location would be needed for where you are located. After that many folks will chime in.  If in Bangkok many places which are good.

[DrJoy]

St. Louis Hospital, Bangkok

 

 

https://www.saintlouis.or.th/en/HemoDepartment

[TheLaughingMan]

Yes Im in Bangkok.

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Location would be needed for where you are located. After that many folks will chime in.  If in Bangkok many places which are good.

 

[dddave]

I've used Sukhumvit Hospital a number of times as I live fairly close by.  I always got good service there.  The facility is modern and very well maintained  I would call it's pricing sort of middle of the road. It's owned by a larger hospital group and is a for-profit corporation.

 

I have also had excellent treatment at Bangkok Christian Hospital in Silom, an older facility but well maintained with an excellent staff.  Significantly less expensive than Sukhumvit.

 

Most local hospitals offer a variety of packages offering a variety of lab tests for competitive prices. Perhaps you can search and find a plan suitable for your mom.

[FritsSikkink]

As every insurance company has different plans it is best to contact them.

[Sheryl]

The issue is not the hospital, it is the doctor. There are good and bad doctors at all hospitals.

 

If you can provide more details about why she suspects a kidney problem I will suggest a doctor.

 

The cost of routine check-ups depend on what tests are done...anywhere from a few thousand baht to 30-40k.  But a routine check up package may not be what she needs. As for tests related to a specific ailment this too depends entirely on the nature of the tests. I really need more information to be able to advise.

 

A new medical policy will usually not cover pre-existing conditions. Some travel policies will cover flare-ups of pre-existing conditions, but  travel policies will cover only urgent care, not elective procedures i.e. they are not a feasible way of financing planned medical care in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CanNot]

As stated always choose the doctor first not the hospital.

That said I stayed in Bumrungrad hospital for a couple of weeks. 

I felt very well taken care of. The nurses where very attentive and when I called them they appeared immediately. Food was OK, had 3 different choices (western, Thai, Japanese) the Starbucks on the ground floor is a big plus.

 

Interesting was when I wanted something for pain or dizziness they called my doctor and confirmed that it was ok to give it to me. Even for things like paracetamol.

In my home country they nurses can provide simple medication independently. 

[TheLaughingMan]

47 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

The issue is not the hospital, it is the doctor. There are good and bad doctors at all hospitals.

 

If you can provide more details about why she suspects a kidney problem I will suggest a doctor.

 

The cost of routine check-ups depend on what tests are done...anywhere from a few thousand baht to 30-40k.  But a routine check up package may not be what she needs. As for tests related to a specific ailment this too depends entirely on the nature of the tests. I really need more information to be able to advise.

 

A new medical policy will usually not cover pre-existing conditions. Some travel policies will cover flare-ups of pre-existing conditions, but  travel policies will cover only urgent care, not elective procedures i.e. they are not a feasible way of financing planned medical care in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She feels like she has to pee all the time and when she does barely anything comes out.  She has started to see some small amount of blood.

[Lacessit]

Kidney function is measured by a number of tests of blood and urine.

It is actually far cheaper to get these tests done by a pathology laboratory, although I did find urine cytology could only be done at a hospital.

As Sheryl says, it depends on what the suspected ailment is.

[internationalism]

looks like urinary tract infection, she should go immediately to the nearest emergency.

If she doesn't have any insurance yet, the governmental hospital will do. Try to get her admitted, so they will run all tests inpatient, rather then delaying them in outpatient 

[TheLaughingMan]

 

Im really leaning towards Sukhumvit hospital just because its very close to our hotel, my moms not a big fan of hour long cab rides at the moment.  We will go first thing in the morning.  Unless someone here says its much better to go somewhere else before we leave.

[internationalism]

probably cheaper is Kluaynamthai Hospital, walking distance from you.

I would go now, when there are no waiting lines.

Or ask reception for the governmental one

Edited October 3, 2022 by internationalism

[Sheryl]

Sounds like a simple UTI and probably not a kidney problem.

 

Treatment will be inexpensive and only test will be a urinalysis. Try to insist on a urine culture as well. Thai doctors like to skip cultures and treat empirically but it causes problems later on if the infection proves resistant to the initial antibiotics used. As is often the case these days with UTIs.

 

Any hospital can handle this. But do specifically sdk them to do a culture.

 

And dont buy medication at the hospital unless you dont mind substantial mark up. Antibiotics can be bought at sny pharmacy.

 

 

 

 

[TheLaughingMan]

We went to Sukhumvit, got some tests done, everything turned up normal, so not sure what to think.  And it cost 5000 baht which I thought was excessive for Thailand.

[internationalism]

go to another hospital. Not necessarily the nearest one. There are many within walking distance. If you want to save some money never go to private hospital.

That's second opinion.

Take all test results.

If blood, pain, no urine - something is seriously wrong

[Sheryl]

41 minutes ago, TheLaughingMan said:

We went to Sukhumvit, got some tests done, everything turned up normal, so not sure what to think.  And it cost 5000 baht which I thought was excessive for Thailand.

What tests exactly were done? And what doctor did you see?

 

Never a good idea to just walk into a hospital without pre-selecting the doctor. Especially here.

[Lorry]

3 hours ago, TheLaughingMan said:

And it cost 5000 baht which I thought was excessive for Thailand.

Sukhumvit Hospital is not cheap.  They try to market themselves as a first class hospital ( which they aren't ) and hope for medical tourists and the new inhabitants of gentrified Phrakhanong (such as you, probably).

Kluainamthai is cheap, prices and service are directed at the people who used to live in that area (it used to be a working class area). 

Edited October 4, 2022 by Lorry

[crouchpeter]

On 10/4/2022 at 10:56 AM, Sheryl said:

Sounds like a simple UTI and probably not a kidney problem.

 

Treatment will be inexpensive and only test will be a urinalysis. Try to insist on a urine culture as well. Thai doctors like to skip cultures and treat empirically but it causes problems later on if the infection proves resistant to the initial antibiotics used. As is often the case these days with UTIs.

 

Any hospital can handle this. But do specifically sdk them to do a culture.

 

And dont buy medication at the hospital unless you dont mind substantial mark up. Antibiotics can be bought at sny pharmacy.

 

 

 

 

Try getting out of a private hospital without taking and paying for their bag of medicines!

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, crouchpeter said:

Try getting out of a private hospital without taking and paying for their bag of medicines!

I do it ll the time. So do many others.

 

By law in Thailand, patients are not required to buy medicine from a hospital.

 

It is best to tell the cashier  upfront before they run off the bill as otherwise they then have to re-do it to remove the meds. This of course assumes you already know what medications have been prescribed, which information you should have gotten from the doctor before going ot the cashier.

 

I also find it simpler to just tell them I already have the medication rather than that I am exercising my right to buy it at an outside pharmacy. Just makes things go more smoothly.

 

 

[Lacessit]

9 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

I do it ll the time. So do many others.

 

By law in Thailand, patients are not required to buy medicine from a hospital.

 

It is best to tell the cashier  upfront before they run off the bill as otherwise they then have to re-do it to remove the meds. This of course assumes you already know what medications have been prescribed, which information you should have gotten from the doctor before going ot the cashier.

 

I also find it simpler to just tell them I already have the medication rather than that I am exercising my right to buy it at an outside pharmacy. Just makes things go more smoothly.

 

 

At Bangkok Hospital, I encountered a couple of sneaky tricks. The first was charging me extra for the urine cytology after my cystoscopy, which on previous appointments was part of the cystoscopy package. The second was charging me 1000 baht for an antibiotic which I did not want, did not need, and had a side-effect of tendon damage. When I asked for the charge to be removed, I was told it was part of the cystoscopy package.

After working my way through several layers of hospital bureaucracy, I concluded I was tilting at windmills.

I did not actually get the medication given to me after all the palaver, so there was an element of fraud as well.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 10/3/2022 at 10:12 PM, FritsSikkink said:

As every insurance company has different plans it is best to contact them.

Or he/she could just read the policy!

[crouchpeter]

On 10/4/2022 at 12:12 AM, internationalism said:

probably cheaper is Kluaynamthai Hospital, walking distance from you.

I would go now, when there are no waiting lines.

Or ask reception for the governmental one

Don't even think about a government hospital unless you speak Thai or take your interpreter! (My pet name for my wife)!

[jak2002003]

10 minutes ago, crouchpeter said:

Don't even think about a government hospital unless you speak Thai or take your interpreter! (My pet name for my wife)!

I have not found that a problem.  I always use government hospitals and I have no Thai interpreter lol.  The doctors all seem to be able to speak good English....they must learn it when they are studying.   Maybe a very small private hospital would be different...like some of the nurses could not speak English well, but OP should have no problem with a large government hospital. 

[Sheryl]

4 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

I have not found that a problem.  I always use government hospitals and I have no Thai interpreter lol.  The doctors all seem to be able to speak good English....they must learn it when they are studying.   Maybe a very small private hospital would be different...like some of the nurses could not speak English well, but OP should have no problem with a large government hospital. 

It really depends on the location and hospital.

 

I live near a very large regional (upcountry) government hospital. In over 20 years, have only once encountered a doctor there able to communicate in English. Most can't speak or understand  a word.

 

in Bangkok the doctors will speak English - but it is getting to the doctor that is the issue as the nurses and clerks do not, the procedures and red tape are initially very confusing, and everything (signs, forms) is in Thai.

 

 

[jak2002003]

9 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

It really depends on the location and hospital.

 

I live near a very large regional (upcountry) government hospital. In over 20 years, have only once encountered a doctor there able to communicate in English. Most can't speak or understand  a word.

 

in Bangkok the doctors will speak English - but it is getting to the doctor that is the issue as the nurses and clerks do not, the procedures and red tape are initially very confusing, and everything (signs, forms) is in Thai.

 

 

I am in Chiang Mai and have used 3 different government hospitals and all the doctors and make of the staff could speak enough English to understand me. 

[Sheryl]

10 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

I am in Chiang Mai and have used 3 different government hospitals and all the doctors and make of the staff could speak enough English to understand me. 

Chiang Mai is an outlier. Do the the large expat population there, as well as havin ga major medical school.

 

Not at all typical of government hospitals elsewhere, where foreign patients are a rarity.

 

 

[The Fugitive]

On the subject of healthcare professionals and languages, my specialist dentist told me he qualified in the 1970's. However, when he was studying for his Master's Degree in the 1980's it was, by then, compulsory to learn English. Maybe it depends upon the qualification and timescale?

[DaLa]

56 minutes ago, crouchpeter said:

Don't even think about a government hospital unless you speak Thai or take your interpreter! (My pet name for my wife)!

Apologies, this doesn’t answer the op’s post but you are absolutely correct.

 

I’ve just been in Siriraj hospital Bangkok with Pneumonia, and had to leave most of it to the Thai wife. Interpreting, paying for treatment, feeding me, staying overnight to make sure I didn’t escape. Especially letting the doctor who wanted me to move to another hospital because ‘they were very full’ know I wasn’t going anywhere.

 

But is that any worse than going to 3 different private hospitals , receiving 3 different diagnoses and then receiving a bill double the original quote.

 

12k baht to come out alive from a government hospital is good value in my book.