Hospitals In Mahasarakham And Nearby

[kimamey]

I am about to get my injections for my first trip to Thailand and which ones I need seems to depend to some extent on how far I am away from a hospital and how good it is. I will be spending some time in my girlfriend's village near Sarakham and I wonder if anyone has experience of the local hospital there or in places nearby .

[GungaDin]

Which injections?

[JanAndersLarsson]

Which injections?

Agree ! What injections ? An up to date tetanus protection should be enough to worry about.

If you are healthy otherwise it would be a waste of money to take extra injections.

Maha Sarakam is quite healthy all around the year. When you come in February the weather will be very nice. No rain ! No humidity. Maybe in Bangkok but not up here.

[kimamey]

Which injections?

Agree ! What injections ? An up to date tetanus protection should be enough to worry about.

If you are healthy otherwise it would be a waste of money to take extra injections.

Maha Sarakam is quite healthy all around the year. When you come in February the weather will be very nice. No rain ! No humidity. Maybe in Bangkok but not up here.

Some things are already dealt with or just need boosters: Tetanus, TB and Hepatitis B for instance. Japanese encephalitis shouldn't be a problem in February so the main one is Rabies. I have heard several dogs during phone calls although my girlfriend seems to think that there isn't much of a problem. The only trouble is that sometimes her english, although quite good leaves me unsure if she understands exactly what I'm saying. I've read a lot on this forum about rabies and the views seem mixed but as far as I can see the level of rabies has dropped due to measures that have been taken.

I suppose the main thing is that I need to be sure that if the worst happens and I do catch something, there is a hospital available and that I have done all I can to protect myself so my travel insurance company can't say it's my own fault. Just call me cynical.

I'm fairly healthy for my age (54) the only problems I do have are not related to infection risk.

I assume that the medication I take for high blood pressure and high cholesterol which is prescribed by my doctor shouldn't cause problems entering the country.

[citizen33]

In answer to your original question, the hospitals in the city are:

(a) Maha Sarakham Provincial hospital, near where the Borabue Road crosses the canal in the city centre. My rating: (which is just an opinion) middle-ranking Isaan hospital which has improved a bit following the creation of the MSU Medical School but still lags a long way behind Khon Kaen's Srinakarin University Hospital.

(b ) Suun Ruam Peet private hospital (near municipal depot behind Serm Thai department store). My rating: most doctors work part-time and hold posts in the provincial hospital. Some patient rooms are good and can usually be had at a good discount from the listed prices, but the medical facilities are very limited. Okay for routine things such as maternity care but don't go there with a life-threatening condition.

Sarakham residents who have a serious problem and can travel the 60 km or so to Khon Kaen should go to Srinakarin. It is the best in Isaan.

Edited December 11, 2008 by citizen33