Look For A Clinic To Do A Blood Test (hiv)

[crazyfred]

Hi everybody,

I would like to do a blood test (HIV) in Phuket where i can do it. Bangkok hospital and Phuket international hospital is quiet expensive for me. Do u know another place?

Thanks

[LivinginKata]

Patong Hospital & Vichara Hospital in Phuket Town. These are government hospitals and should have the cheapest blood test prices on Phuket Island. Everything else is private health care... as far as I know.

[LeungKen]

If you live near Thalang the hospital there can also do.

[LivinLOS]

Bangkok Phuket is 500 baht for an HIV test..

Is that too much ??

[crazyfred]

Bangkok Phuket is 500 baht for an HIV test..

Is that too much ??

U speak about Bangkok hospital right?

No it's cheap as well, i paid so much more in Bangkok.

Thanks to everybody for the answer

[donna]

personally i would rather pay a higher price for an accurate result and compassionate doctor than to pay a bargain basement rate for a potentially dodgy result given by a doctor who looks at me like i am a piece of crap.

[issanpaul]

personally i would rather pay a higher price for an accurate result and compassionate doctor than to pay a bargain basement rate for a potentially dodgy result given by a doctor who looks at me like i am a piece of crap.

Well said Donna

[alanmorison]

personally i would rather pay a higher price for an accurate result and compassionate doctor than to pay a bargain basement rate for a potentially dodgy result given by a doctor who looks at me like i am a piece of crap.

Well said Donna

Never had that kind of problem at Mission Hospital in Phuket City. And often been the only farang in sight. Do you guys really think every Thai hates you? That's the impression I get. It's kinda sad, and far from the truth. Test results both times were given by female doctors speaking excellent English, with compassion.

[Carib]

Well, I think it will not be the doctor, but the person in the lab who does the actual test.

If you go for a test, do you care in what way the doc looks at you, or shows compassion? Compassion for what??

[huggybear]

personally i would rather pay a higher price for an accurate result and compassionate doctor than to pay a bargain basement rate for a potentially dodgy result given by a doctor who looks at me like i am a piece of crap.

I concur and Patong Hospital is dirty, I was rather amazed that Patong doesn't have a nicer hospital. Aren't there hotel room taxes that could pay for such?

[choppychugger]

Dr. Chusak in Kata IMHO the best Doctor on the island. Excellent English language skills and trained in the UK. He does the test @ his practice for about 400baht.

Personally I think the price is insignificant compared to the posibble outcome of the result and how it could change your life.

Choppy

Edited August 17, 2008 by choppychugger

[fredovitch13]

personally i would rather pay a higher price for an accurate result and compassionate doctor than to pay a bargain basement rate for a potentially dodgy result given by a doctor who looks at me like i am a piece of crap.

Well said Donna

Never had that kind of problem at Mission Hospital in Phuket City. And often been the only farang in sight. Do you guys really think every Thai hates you? That's the impression I get. It's kinda sad, and far from the truth. Test results both times were given by female doctors speaking excellent English, with compassion.

Hi,

Could you tell me where is the mission hospital in phuket town please?

Thanks

[donna]

personally i would rather pay a higher price for an accurate result and compassionate doctor than to pay a bargain basement rate for a potentially dodgy result given by a doctor who looks at me like i am a piece of crap.

Well said Donna

Never had that kind of problem at Mission Hospital in Phuket City. And often been the only farang in sight. Do you guys really think every Thai hates you? That's the impression I get. It's kinda sad, and far from the truth. Test results both times were given by female doctors speaking excellent English, with compassion.

i can vouch for Mission. they are a wonderful facility, and i did find a great OB GYN there who was the best doctor i found in phuket. i have had many tests done at mission and was more than happy with their service. i would not go to Bangkok Phuket again, i think. each time i went there, the experience was not so good.

without getting in to unnecessary details, i had a, lets say 'female problem', and one doctor told me that she needed to operate immediately as she thought i had cancer (i dont), and another one (male this time) told me that i was ridiculous for asking for secondary tests to confirm his diagnosis.

do i think that every thai hates me? of course not.

have i had some crap doctors in thailand? absolutely.

Well, I think it will not be the doctor, but the person in the lab who does the actual test.

If you go for a test, do you care in what way the doc looks at you, or shows compassion? Compassion for what??

if you knew about how HIV tests were done in the west, you would understand that the doctor has to counsel you before the test, and after, no matter what the results are. my doctor in australia has a particularly good bedside manner and i would not think of going to another doctor when i am back there.

do i care what way the doctor looks at me? absolutely! part of a doctors job is to be caring towards his/her patients, and if they cannot show this when taking a simple blood test, then what hope do you have if the diagnosis happens to be positive? would you prefer a doctor who says 'you dumb shit, you went and got HIV and now youre gonna die', or the one who says 'this isnt good news but its not necessarily a death sentence. there are many treatments available which can prolong your life'.

i know which one i would choose.

[Carib]

personally i would rather pay a higher price for an accurate result and compassionate doctor than to pay a bargain basement rate for a potentially dodgy result given by a doctor who looks at me like i am a piece of crap.

Well said Donna

Never had that kind of problem at Mission Hospital in Phuket City. And often been the only farang in sight. Do you guys really think every Thai hates you? That's the impression I get. It's kinda sad, and far from the truth. Test results both times were given by female doctors speaking excellent English, with compassion.

i can vouch for Mission. they are a wonderful facility, and i did find a great OB GYN there who was the best doctor i found in phuket. i have had many tests done at mission and was more than happy with their service. i would not go to Bangkok Phuket again, i think. each time i went there, the experience was not so good.

without getting in to unnecessary details, i had a, lets say 'female problem', and one doctor told me that she needed to operate immediately as she thought i had cancer (i dont), and another one (male this time) told me that i was ridiculous for asking for secondary tests to confirm his diagnosis.

do i think that every thai hates me? of course not.

have i had some crap doctors in thailand? absolutely.

Well, I think it will not be the doctor, but the person in the lab who does the actual test.

If you go for a test, do you care in what way the doc looks at you, or shows compassion? Compassion for what??

if you knew about how HIV tests were done in the west, you would understand that the doctor has to counsel you before the test, and after, no matter what the results are. my doctor in australia has a particularly good bedside manner and i would not think of going to another doctor when i am back there.

do i care what way the doctor looks at me? absolutely! part of a doctors job is to be caring towards his/her patients, and if they cannot show this when taking a simple blood test, then what hope do you have if the diagnosis happens to be positive? would you prefer a doctor who says 'you dumb shit, you went and got HIV and now youre gonna die', or the one who says 'this isnt good news but its not necessarily a death sentence. there are many treatments available which can prolong your life'.

i know which one i would choose.

Donna,

My reaction was based on the original post. The guy is looking for a test, and a place to have it done, and at a reasonable price.

That means; go to see a doctor or a nurse who acts on the doctors behalve/orders, stick a needle in the arm, draw blood / have it tested/ get the result.

In that context I don't see the need for compassion, counselling or whatever. He wants a test done.

You take this much further, and now you even talk about a possible result, and what a doctor may say and even the manner in which he may do that.

Regards

[LivinginKata]

Counseling before test ....??? I've had AIDS test in UK and in Thailand (for insurance reasons) and no-one has ever talked about councelling blah blah before taking blood. All very clinical, take blood, give result. I expect if a positive result then that's a different story.

[donna]

the pre test counselling isnt a 'lie on the couch' job, but more finding out the reasons you feel you may have been exposed, what you can do to prevent it, how the results (either way) work, and just general talking you through the process to make it less nerve wracking for the patient.

[Yahooka]

personally i would rather pay a higher price for an accurate result and compassionate doctor than to pay a bargain basement rate for a potentially dodgy result given by a doctor who looks at me like i am a piece of crap.

I concur and Patong Hospital is dirty, I was rather amazed that Patong doesn't have a nicer hospital. Aren't there hotel room taxes that could pay for such?

Isn`t Patong Hospital foremost an emergency/patch-em up hospital ?? I know that during my 3 times falling ill in Phuket,my insurance companies have told me to go straight to Bkk-Phuket-or Phuket international hospital`s !!

[LivinginKata]

Insurance companies prefer to use private hospitals. Patong has a government hospital where conditions and treatment can be quite bad.