Great Experience In Local Government Hospital

[garro]

I frequently read posts on TV which discuss worries people have about Thai government hospitals. I would just like to share my positive experience in our local hospital where my son was born 4 days ago.

I found the staff to be very professional and efficient and they went out of their way to be helpful. We booked a private room for the duration of our stay and it was really nice because I also spent the whole time with my wife and baby. The room was clean with air-con, a large fridge and TV; it even had HBO. We also had free WI-FI so I could use my laptop.

The bill for this was 1,800 baht for the four days; and probably didn't cover much more than the air-con.

[PeaceBlondie]

Congratulations to Garro and family. Since I think you were trained as a nurse, that evaluation is professional. My experiences in the biggest govt. hospital are similar, although the great unwashed population sometimes remain the great unwashed, from what I observed in the general wards.

As soon as my daughter in law realized she was pregnant (in Dallas, Texas ) she insisted, "this baby must be born on Irish soil!"

[garro]

Congratulations to Garro and family. Since I think you were trained as a nurse, that evaluation is professional. My experiences in the biggest govt. hospital are similar, although the great unwashed population sometimes remain the great unwashed, from what I observed in the general wards.

I think the difference here is there are plenty of Thai's who want to be nurses and enjoy the work. In the west there are increased shortages, at least in the UK & Ireland there is, and newly qualified nurses don't want to work on the wards.

[Jet Gorgon]

Congratulations, Garro! Best wishes to you and your wife. What's the boy's name? Bud Jr? I agree, always had good treatment at local hospitals. Great to hear your happy news.

[garro]

Thanks Jet, we did consider Bud Jr but went with Tiramate-Timmy instead .

Edited August 10, 2007 by garro

[lannarebirth]

What Thais are great at and what Thai hospitals exemplify, is the concept of "taking care". Great service and staffing levels are multiple of western hospitals. Often it just having enough staff to take care and observe a patient that makes a difference in their recovery. 100,000's of people die each year in western hospitals because of low staffing levels and rush to discharge patients.

Congratulations on the birth of your baby garro and thanks for the update.

[Farma]

I’m glad you had a good experience with the hospital. Congratulations on the new addition.

There’s been a lot of effort placed on hospital improvements over the past few years and this is gathering pace.

Hospitals are now being forced through a quality improvement process with additional funding provided as they pass. Regular inspections are carried out with the Health ministry setting high achievement targets.

There’s wifi available at most hospitals now, even in the remote ones, I’m not sure if it’s free for everyone or not.

I’m also being told there is a big push on to improve English language skills of Govt. employees with higher standards of English also required for people wishing to join the public service.

[mrtoad]

Congratulations to Garro and family. Since I think you were trained as a nurse, that evaluation is professional. My experiences in the biggest govt. hospital are similar, although the great unwashed population sometimes remain the great unwashed, from what I observed in the general wards.

I think the difference here is there are plenty of Thai's who want to be nurses and enjoy the work. In the west there are increased shortages, at least in the UK & Ireland there is, and newly qualified nurses don't want to work on the wards.

I'd agree with that. Nursing is a profession and a vocation, but most important you have to have a passion for it. Nowadays, the students in the UK are more interested in theory and idealism, as opposed to basic nursing care and good bedside manner. That is partly becasue of the type of training that they now undertake. In fact some of the final years students struggle to even undertake basic nursing procedures. They may have lot's of knowledge, but have no common sense to apply it. As a student assesor it used to drive me nuts.

Our daughter was born in a government hospital, and I could not fault the level of care and the clinical environment.From experience of it was certainly better than that which my exwife received back in the UK.

Congrats as well Garro.

Edited August 10, 2007 by mrtoad

[Nibor1945]

I frequently read posts on TV which discuss worries people have about Thai government hospitals. I would just like to share my positive experience in our local hospital where my son was born 4 days ago.

I found the staff to be very professional and efficient and they went out of their way to be helpful. We booked a private room for the duration of our stay and it was really nice because I also spent the whole time with my wife and baby. The room was clean with air-con, a large fridge and TV; it even had HBO. We also had free WI-FI so I could use my laptop.

The bill for this was 1,800 baht for the four days; and probably didn't cover much more than the air-con.

Hi,

Congratulations on the birth of you son. My own experience of Thai government hospitals was similar, both of our children were delivered by "C section" and each time we had a private room in local government hospitals. The first child was born 11 years ago before the advent of the 30 baht medical treatment card, total cost was B7000.00. Our second child was born after the introduction of the 30 baht scheme, all we had to pay for, was the private room (much the same as you describe) 4 days at 700 baht a day (total) B2800. Treatment and supervision was excellent.

I must add however I was decidedly unimpressed by the public wards and would definitely "go private" if that was the only option! Both the hospitals I had experience with, were in the upper and lower central region.