Best hospital outside Thailand?

[voyagerUSA]

So if you had a complicated or hard to diagnose issue and you felt that what is available in Bangkok is not sufficient, and you could travel and had health global insurance where would you go (Excluding USA). Singapore? Hong Kong? Germany? and which hospital?

 

 

[brianthainess]

India.

[Sheryl]

It would much depend on the problem.

 

[Lacessit]

Australia.

[voyagerUSA]

Yes I realize is somewhat problem dependent but lets say you are looking for a go to place that is broadly excellent, for all your health care issues where you want to go a step above what is available in Bangkok, so you looking at a place that is tops in research etc. For example I know in USA this would be places like Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic etc, but I am less clear what are the centers of excellence outside USA. And assume you are not looking for cheapest, as you have insurance or the means to pay.

[voyagerUSA]

I realize also for a lot of readers here their natural fallback option would be their home country because of public health benefits and general comfort.

[chalawaan]

18 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Australia.

Ever been to Gosford Hospital? 

 

It was a clownshow, I am still dealing with a procedure they botched twenty two years ago.

 

All they had to do was debride and sew up a toe.

 

They nearly killed me. 

 

To keep on topic, I'd pick Singapore, then Medical City Clark, who saved my life about eight years ago, but they're the only hospital in the Phillipines that I'd trust. 

 

I would still choose Thailand first unless there really are no options here. 

Edited May 27, 2023 by chalawaan

[OneMoreFarang]

I guess one problem is that you really want to be sure they are better.

I have a rich friend with a prostate problem. He decided that some specialists in the Netherlands are better than the best hospitals in Bangkok. To make it short: They didn't do it as good as he expected - he used more dramatic language to describe it.

 

Money was no problem; language was no problem.

I don't know the details and likely I wouldn't understand the details. But it seems it is very difficult to be sure that some specialists are better than others.

[mstevens]

No idea what your medical issue is but is it something that a functional medical practitioner could diagnose? They are a little different to regular MDs in that they identify the root cause and treat that, rather than putting a patient on drugs for the rest of their life. Google "functional medicine practitioner" and perhaps that might be something for you to consider.

Edited May 27, 2023 by mstevens

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, chalawaan said:

To keep on topic, I'd pick Singapore, then Medical City Clark, who saved my life about eight years ago, but they're the only hospital in the Phillipines that I'd trust. 

I never knew that Singapore was in the Phillipines.

 

And who can put a CONFUSED emoji on that? 

Edited May 27, 2023 by KannikaP

[Sheryl]

23 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

I never knew that Singapore was in the Phillipines.

 

And who can put a CONFUSED emoji on that? 

Medical city Clark is in the Philippines. I think he meant to say somewhere in Singapore OR Medical City Clark in the Philippines.

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, voyagerUSA said:

Yes I realize is somewhat problem dependent but lets say you are looking for a go to place that is broadly excellent, for all your health care issues where you want to go a step above what is available in Bangkok, so you looking at a place that is tops in research etc. For example I know in USA this would be places like Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic etc, but I am less clear what are the centers of excellence outside USA. And assume you are not looking for cheapest, as you have insurance or the means to pay.

For what you describe: National University Hospital Singapore.

[Celsius]

Maybe some of those rich Arab countries

[Sheryl]

Just now, Celsius said:

Maybe some of those rich Arab countries

They send their citizens to Bangkok for health care.

[Celsius]

2 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

They send their citizens to Bangkok for health care.

Because it is cheaper, not because it is better. Never saw a rich Arab in a Thai hospital.

[nglodnig]

14 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

National University Hospital Singapore

The health-care I received as an OUT-patient in Singapore was excellent. And reasonably priced...........

[KhunBENQ]

If I was a $$ millionaire I would go to Switzerland (my native country).

Zurich, USZ (University Hospital).

Many global insurances exclude USA and Switzerland.

Guess why.

Edited May 27, 2023 by KhunBENQ

[moogradod]

3 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

If I was a $$ millionaire I would go to Switzerland (my native country).

Zurich, USZ (University Hospital).

Many global insurances exclude USA and Switzerland.

Guess why.

Spot on. This was my main hospital for some decades. They removed my prostate with robot assisted (Da Vinci) surgery.

 

Apart from that I think that the Charité in Berlin has as well a good reputation. But as Sheryl says: Depends on the issue. I have heard that some of the best heart specialists are located in Spain - just to name one example.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, chalawaan said:

Ever been to Gosford Hospital? 

 

It was a clownshow, I am still dealing with a procedure they botched twenty two years ago.

 

All they had to do was debride and sew up a toe.

 

They nearly killed me. 

 

To keep on topic, I'd pick Singapore, then Medical City Clark, who saved my life about eight years ago, but they're the only hospital in the Phillipines that I'd trust. 

 

I would still choose Thailand first unless there really are no options here. 

Perhaps I should have specified private hospitals. I agree public hospitals in Australia leave a lot to be desired. Maybe one or two experienced doctors with dozens of inexperienced interns, hoping they don't make a mistake.

 

The reason I am putting Australia ahead of Thailand is twofold. I am having treatment with a medication which is simply not available in Thailand.

The second reason is expertise. I have a urologist at Bangkok Hospital in Chiang Mai, who is competent, with a degree from Chiang Mai University. He is OK for routine checks.

OTOH, my urologist in Melbourne has the acronyms FRCS, FRACS after his name, which means he would be streets ahead of the Thai doctor in terms of experience and qualifications for any serious surgery.

[voyagerUSA]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

For what you describe: National University Hospital Singapore.

Thank you Sheryl. I like how they have detailed profile for every specialist so you can find the one with the right subspecialty and interests

[voyagerUSA]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

If I was a $$ millionaire I would go to Switzerland (my native country).

Zurich, USZ (University Hospital).

Many global insurances exclude USA and Switzerland.

Guess why.

Yeah fortunately my insurance only excludes USA so Switzerland is an option. USA is completely off the charts when it comes to costs, it can be financially tough even if you are a $$ millionaire

[Lorry]

In Asia: NUH Singapore as advised by Sheryl, or Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. 

 

Outside Asia: definitely not Middle East, as has been said by Sheryl.

Many European Hospitals (Insel Hospital Bern (for cancer of pancreas) and others, Switzerland; Charité Berlin (for cancer of bile ducts), University Hospital Heidelberg (for many diseases of the brain) and others,  Germany; hospitals in France and so on ad infinitum - it really depends on your condition)

 

The leading Thai doctors in a field can tell you where in the world are the top specialists of this field

[voyagerUSA]

8 minutes ago, Lorry said:

In Asia: NUH Singapore as advised by Sheryl, or Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. 

 

Outside Asia: definitely not Middle East, as has been said by Sheryl.

Many European Hospitals (Insel Hospital Bern (for cancer of pancreas) and others, Switzerland; Charité Berlin (for cancer of bile ducts), University Hospital Heidelberg (for many diseases of the brain) and others,  Germany; hospitals in France and so on ad infinitum - it really depends on your condition)

 

The leading Thai doctors in a field can tell you where in the world are the top specialists of this field

My specific problem at the moment is in urology (though is probably not cancer), but I also want a place that is generally excellent so I have a go to place with my records etc.

[Lorry]

6 minutes ago, voyagerUSA said:

My specific problem at the moment is in urology (though is probably not cancer), but I also want a place that is generally excellent so I have a go to place with my records etc.

Generally excellent: the 2 places in Singapore resp. HK

Urology: it depends again on the exact problem

[voyagerUSA]

5 minutes ago, Lorry said:

Generally excellent: the 2 places in Singapore resp. HK

Urology: it depends again on the exact problem

The problem is not known, lower urinary tract symptoms, but cause unknown, doctors so far suggested everything from bacterial prostate infection to cancer, though more likely the former I hope!

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, Celsius said:

Because it is cheaper, not because it is better. Never saw a rich Arab in a Thai hospital.

Hordes of them at Bumrungrad, having plastic surgery and the like.

[Lorry]

2 hours ago, voyagerUSA said:

The problem is not known, lower urinary tract symptoms, but cause unknown, doctors so far suggested everything from bacterial prostate infection to cancer, though more likely the former I hope!

There are several good urologists in Thailand. They have been mentioned in your other threads.

Unfortunately,  I can also tell you quite a few lousy urologists.

I don't know anything like a center of excellence specializing in your problem (actually, I do know one, in Germany - don't go there,  you would waste your time). The reason is, urology is a subspecialty of surgery,  you can't operate on bacteria. 

There is a poster on this board who is quite knowledgable about urologists from Australia to Britain,  he answered you in the other threads already. 

[AndyFoxy]

I’m in Hong Kong. Don’t go public. Waiting times/lists are too long. I go private here and have been good. Not cheap but quality.

[voyagerUSA]

9 hours ago, AndyFoxy said:

I’m in Hong Kong. Don’t go public. Waiting times/lists are too long. I go private here and have been good. Not cheap but quality.

Yes, I've used Gleneagles outpatient services before and is pretty good

[voyagerUSA]

9 hours ago, Lorry said:

There are several good urologists in Thailand. They have been mentioned in your other threads.

Unfortunately,  I can also tell you quite a few lousy urologists.

I don't know anything like a center of excellence specializing in your problem (actually, I do know one, in Germany - don't go there,  you would waste your time). The reason is, urology is a subspecialty of surgery,  you can't operate on bacteria. 

There is a poster on this board who is quite knowledgable about urologists from Australia to Britain,  he answered you in the other threads already. 

Yes I know my specific issue hard to find a good specialist anywhere, but is not the only issue I have or will have in the future so information about good general health options outside of thailand I think is useful to me and to others.