The pharmacist will see you now: Has Thailand found cure for hospital overcrowding?

[billd766]

56 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

I believe one will find that this conditioned practice has become terribly commonplace the world over - especially within the framework of the more developed medical/healthcare systems. 

 

People run off to emergency rooms, doctor's offices, clinics unnecessarily......almost always for such trivial and non-essential reasons - putting a load on already overworked, strained and understaffed systems [everywhere]. 

 

Adding to the hardships of all, the abundance - and the unnecessary prescriptions thereof - of pharmaceuticals is made easy.....yet, preventive care or alternative treatments are never explored......especially within the realms of modern Western allopathic practices. 

I go to my local hospital 13 km away every couple of months to top up my meds as the doctor asks me to.

 

I also go for an appointment at the Naresuan teaching hospital in Phitsanulok 150 km away, where they have more doctors and their teachers and more equipment.

 

They also have a larger catchment area and more experience.

 

They diagnosed my breathing problems as a lower lung infection, which could be either pneumonia or long term Covid (the symptoms are similar).

 

I looked up on Dr Google and downloaded some UK NHS breathing exercises which I think help as well.

 

I do them 3 or 4 times a day for about 5 minutes a time.

Edited July 8, 2023 by billd766
added extra text

[billd766]

42 minutes ago, vivananahuahin said:

If heart diseases ask your doctor to EECP therapy without any medications, it cost a lot but efficient.

Which hospitals, and where in Thailand is this practiced?

[Bim Smith]

6 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Too many Thais I know go to the hospital for basically nothing.  A simple cold or headache go to emergency.  

And take the entire family with them including the pet dog in the back of a pick up. Never understood that.

[billd766]

AFAIK there is only Sheryl on ANN who is a qualified UK nurse and she is very helpful, but sadly for most of us I believe she lives in Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai.

 

 

[Bepah umayun]

7 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Too many Thais I know go to the hospital for basically nothing.  A simple cold or headache go to emergency.  

Isn't it mainly because it's free, and also they might be looking for some human contact, and they're happy to sit in a decent place for a while ?

[Ralf001]

33 minutes ago, billd766 said:

My BP this month has been

 

Date    Sys    Dia    Pulse
                      
1           111    65    88

2          115    62    87          
3          109    62    81          
4          114    67    99          
5          108    62    87         
6          109    64    77        
7          110    71    88        
8          112    63    82

 

This is the middle value of 5 checks I take every day before breakfast. Much lower than yours. but within the acceptable limits of my Microlife BP tester.
 

had mine go to 0/0/0 3 times this year... am happy where it is at now.

[Ralf001]

double post................

Edited July 8, 2023 by Ralf001

[Ralf001]

31 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

 

They diagnosed my breathing problems as a lower lung infection, which could be either pneumonia

I'd keep an eye on that... severe pneumonia both lungs floored me for a bit.

My SpO2 level was 52% when I went to hospital with what I thought was dehydration.

Waking from a coma 3 weeks later I was told it was not dehydration !!

Edited July 8, 2023 by Ralf001

[Ralf001]

25 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Which hospitals, and where in Thailand is this practiced?

https://www.bangkokhearthospital.com/en/center-clinic/cardiac-rehabilitation-clinic?info=overview

[Muhendis]

9 hours ago, Pink Mist said:

Not sure diet can fix heart issues, COPD, and many others. Medications are needed to continue with quality of life.

Recommendation for heart and many other ailments is not only diet but also exercise.

Trouble is there are occasions when medication is absolutely necessary.

 

[billd766]

28 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

had mine go to 0/0/0 3 times this year... am happy where it is at now.

That would scare the crap out of me.

 

usually though it is a case of flat battery. Recharge the batteries it it is OK.

 

 

28 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

I'd keep an eye on that... severe pneumonia both lungs floored me for a bit.

My SpO2 level was 52% when I went to hospital with what I thought was dehydration.

Waking from a coma 3 weeks later I was told it was not dehydration !!

I was lucky as I went to the Naresuan hospital because of that and I am sure that they caught it early on.

 

I had a blackout in February at home and when I woke from it I had no idea where I was other than a hospital, what day or time it was or how I got there.

 

I think it was due to standing up quickly with low blood pressure.

 

I am glad to know you recovered.

 

Many people don't  recover.

 

32 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

https://www.bangkokhearthospital.com/en/center-clinic/cardiac-rehabilitation-clinic?info=overview

That is about 350 km from me and where I had 2 stents put in back in 2006,

[billd766]

6 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

Recommendation for heart and many other ailments is not only diet but also exercise.

Trouble is there are occasions when medication is absolutely necessary.

 

A lot depends on the ailments and the patient.

 

The farthest I managed to walk lately is about 25 to 30 metres.

 

The problem I have is that if I fall on the ground my Thai wife is not stronenough to pick me up, even to a sitting position.

[Ralf001]

5 minutes ago, billd766 said:

That would scare the crap out of me.

I was in an induced coma so care factor was zero !!

[Ben Zioner]

The answer lies in the number of physicians per 1000 people, 0.9 in Thailand versus 3.9 in the EU.

[ChrisKC]

11 hours ago, bignok said:

Why take drugs for things diet can fix?

SOME people with chronic conditions can benefit without medication by a change of diet, but it is NOT good advice in this forum as if that is the answer to everybody's health problems.

[onthedarkside]

Off topic posts removed

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, rice555 said:

The Gov. hospital in Korat you step on the scale that does height/weight, then you

sit at the BP machine and you get a printed slip with the #'s.

The private one nears me weighs your wallet first!

[herfiehandbag]

19 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Too many Thais I know go to the hospital for basically nothing.  A simple cold or headache go to emergency.  

Because very often they don't know any other way to access any healthcare.

 

My local hospital runs a couple of "satellite clinics" linked to the hospital. They are staffed by a couple of Nurses and "Nurses Aids". For things like changing dressings, and minor injuries and initial diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses they are fine. The locals seem reluctant to use them, and clutter up the hospital waiting hours to be seen!

[Ralf001]

16 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Because very often they don't know any other way to access any healthcare.

 

My local hospital runs a couple of "satellite clinics" linked to the hospital. They are staffed by a couple of Nurses and "Nurses Aids". For things like changing dressings, and minor injuries and initial diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses they are fine. The locals seem reluctant to use them, and clutter up the hospital waiting hours to be seen!

If they are using SS to pay then they can only use the hospital they are registered at, not sure if "satellite clinics" are covered.

Does the 30b scheme cover all govt hospitals and clinics or is that the same as SS in that must use registered hospital ?

Edited July 9, 2023 by Ralf001

[BugJackBaron]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Well said Bill.

Lifestyle changes are good advice for the more youthful,  but at our age a bit more attention can quite literally be the difference between life and death.

lHmm..you may want to do some research. Even cardiologists such as Ken Berry on Youtube are emphasing lifestyle and diet over drugs. And I say this as a less than chronologically youthful  with first hand results from this.

[herfiehandbag]

35 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

If they are using SS to pay then they can only use the hospital they are registered at, not sure if "satellite clinics" are covered.

Does the 30b scheme cover all govt hospitals and clinics or is that the same as SS in that must use registered hospital ?

I believe that the 30 Baht scheme means that you have to use the registered hospital. The satellite clinics are covered by the registration.

 

I have a hospital card for my local hospital which covers me for the satellite clinic down the road. That card has a hospital number.

 

I don't know what the arrangement details are, the whole arrangement was made some years ago. I am diabetic, and went to the emergency room with a deep cut on my foot. The nurse asked where I was treated (a private hospital in Chiang Rai) and how much it cost. She called in the boss nurse, who did some paperwork and registered me; I still pay but I know I am charged far less than a passing foreigner - for example, changing a dressing on my crippled foot costs 50 Baht whereas for a "casual passing farang" ( if you know what I mean) it would cost 180 Baht. Medications are also similarly discounted, certainly when compared to a commercial pharmacy.

 

From time to time the Nurse will announce " today is free Mr John"!

 

The inevitable bureaucracy means that if you move to another area then you have to register again at your new local hospital.

Just as with the whole "Tabien Bann" ( blue house book) business, Thais are reluctant to do this and therefore "return home" for any medical treatment, to vote or any other official interaction 

Edited July 9, 2023 by herfiehandbag

[superal]

17 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

I visit my GP last Sunday of every month.

I think half of Thailand is at the hospital, what should a quick visit to the hospital takes at minimum 5 hrs.

Agree and the gov; hospital waiting rooms are packed with patients and their families , often no where to sit for the late arrived patient . Waiting rooms are putting you at risk from picking up an infection from waiting patients . Finally the majority of gov; doctors are newly qualified medics with little experience and chucked in at the deep end . My local gov; hospital also imposes higher charges for foreigners , at the doctors discretion . My preference is to visit a clinic run by a middle age doctor who also works in the gov; hospital . His fees are reasonable and waiting time is 5-20 minutes .

[Ralf001]

8 minutes ago, superal said:

Agree and the gov; hospital waiting rooms are packed with patients and their families , often no where to sit for the late arrived patient . Waiting rooms are putting you at risk from picking up an infection from waiting patients . Finally the majority of gov; doctors are newly qualified medics with little experience and chucked in at the deep end . My local gov; hospital also imposes higher charges for foreigners , at the doctors discretion . My preference is to visit a clinic run by a middle age doctor who also works in the gov; hospital . His fees are reasonable and waiting time is 5-20 minutes .

My hospital is private, not government.

 

It does however accept social security people, 100 new applicants per year I'am told.

 

Amusingly my appointment slips has a notation S+I.... they never accept my SS card, always ask for my private insurance card.

 

[superal]

20 hours ago, ezzra said:

Simply put, medical services for free is not sustainable anyway you look at it as sooner than later it will give way under the pressure, what to do? good question, until not long ago, Australia used to provide medical services for free, not anymore, now you have to chip in if you want to see the doc, and unless you're a pensioner you will be out of pocket for a consultation and meds.

Agree & medical treatment globally seems to be a problem unless you have a top notch insurance or are a wealthy person . In the UK the much revered NHS is about to collapse with doctors & nurses resigning and taking jobs within the private sector or emigrating to countries with better paid / better condition jobs . For the likes of retired folks who have paid their contributions to the UK national insurance throughout their working life and now find it almost impossible to get a doctors appointment , this is disgraceful . 

[superal]

15 hours ago, billd766 said:

My BP this month has been

 

Date    Sys    Dia    Pulse
                      
1           111    65    88

2          115    62    87          
3          109    62    81          
4          114    67    99          
5          108    62    87         
6          109    64    77        
7          110    71    88        
8          112    63    82

 

This is the middle value of 5 checks I take every day before breakfast. Much lower than yours. but within the acceptable limits of my Microlife BP tester.
 

Impressive readings and same as a youths b/p . Am I right in assuming you are taking b/p medication and if so , would you mind sharing the info ? 

[phetpeter]

Our Thai government hospital is good, sure if you turn up at 6am in the morning , peple believe they will get sooner, you have to remember that Thais may live a long way from the hospital. They have a system where blood etc, can be taken a week before your appointment. so no need to turn up until after lunch. But you will be seen by the Doctor. and if extra check ps by another department are usually arranged the same/next day or with a very short time frame and not in 2 months time as in the UK. operations or surgeical investiation are normally done within days.and if you have joined the social sercuity scheme approx 400 baht a month, its all free. I had heart attack, hospital, stent placement, and all 3monthly check ups and drugs Free 

[Ralf001]

8 minutes ago, phetpeter said:

 if you have joined the social sercuity scheme approx 400 baht a month, its all free. I had heart attack, hospital, stent placement, and all 3monthly check ups and drugs Free 

SS does not cover private ward room though, Gladly my private insurance did though.

[brianthainess]

On 7/8/2023 at 8:39 AM, webfact said:

now permitted to pick up medicines from their local pharmacy instead of a hospital. And some hospitals refer patients with non-serious conditions to clinics for treatment.

Say what? this is not news to me, that's has been going on for years(ever) where i live.

[Xonax]

Increase the fee for visiting a government hospital from 50 Baht to 200 Baht and immediately the congestion will disappear!

[sandyf]

17 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

I have n appointment too, but only to get medication not for further examination or so... And that for a specialist.. This doctor could spend his time better than only see me and ssubscribe the same tablets every 3 months

 

As I said your hospital must be run differently,  a bit more than tablets, when I first started the "tablet doctor" carried out an echo.

Only a couple of weeks ago I was referred  from outpatients to surgery on the floor above. 

BTW surgery went well, had the stitches out last week.