Incredibly Bad

[seabear]

Yesterday, my wife (Thai) brought a friend (Thai) to the second biggest hospital in Phuket, because she hurt in the belly. After 3 hours and 3'000 Baht they couldn't find anything wrong and sent her home.

Today they went to the Vachira hospital. The appendix was inflamed and swollen. The doctor said she has to stop eating and drinking, and needs immediate surgery.

What can I say?

[GoodKarma]

I think it is important to post stories like this. Sadly there are so many... This is a good reminder that perhaps Vachira is ok for a 2nd opinion.

So many of these stories just scare me.

Perhaps we could start a list of recommended doctors in Thailand.. by region. Besides Dr Chusak in Phuket and a small pediatrician in Rawai there must be more..

Wonder if they could be pinned in the local forums or in this forum. Mods?

Letters to the editor in the Phuket Gazette, this edition has another scary story..

My friend has a story about a friend who has septima and was mis-diagnosed too and sent home, no doubt with a bag of useless pills. Luckily a doctor finally did diagnose him correctly.

[Sheryl]

Sorry to say but there just isn't a whole lot to post with regards to locations other than Bangkok. I have consistently found the care reported from private hospitals located in the provinces to be substandard. A government provincial hospital (which is what Wachira is) is almost always the best choice.

Note the emphasis on provincial. As in, the government located in the provincial capital. In places like Hua Hin, Samui etc that means traveling as the local hospitals will be a lower tier.

The only other good option IMO are the military hospitals, where available.

[wasabi]

Thai doctors are terrible diagnosticians on average. If there is something glaringly obvious like an open wound from a motorbike accident then they have my confidence to fix it. For me personally, there was an occasion when I knew the doctor was wrong and tried to politely hint that he pursue another course of investigation but since he was the doctor and made up his mind, a bag full of antibiotics and band-aids was my remedy. In this particular case the problem was fungal and nothing he did even slightly helped. I love Thailand and would consider retiring there but I would likely take care of any serious health needs somewhere else like Singapore. Yes it costs more but you get what you pay for.

By the way are foreign doctors allowed to practice medicine in Thailand? I would pay western rates to get a proper diagnosis if needed.

Edited November 8, 2010 by wasabi

[Sheryl]

They would have to pass the Thai medical licensing exam, in Thai, so basically (with one or two unusual exceptions) you will not be able to get care from a foreiugn doc here.

However, you can get care from Thai doctors who trained and passed rigorous specialty certification processes in western countries -- in Bangkok, and if you take the time to do your homework first (since of course there are also plenty of average Thai docs in Bkk). Some of these are absolutely out-standing and internationally respected leaders in their fields. But, as I said, you have to do some homework to locate them, and they aren't often found outside Bangkok.

[afarang]

I live in a small rural community. We have clinic, which treats simple things. But when they are out of their depth, off you go to the local hospital. Yes, they are aware of their limitations. They send you. At the local hospital ,you can get good treatment. Once again, if they are out of their depth, off you go- by ambulance to the provincial hospital.Where there are specialists. In 21 years living here, I have never used a private hospital.

[MisterMan]

So how about we start a list of the good doctors who have gone through rigorous training in western countries which is less subjective then the one mentioned before?

I often wonder how easy it is to get a medical degree here what kind of standards they have in place to prevent cheating and other unscrupulous ways to pass examinations.

I read that article in the Gazette.. it was about a doctor wanting to switch antidrepssents on a patient with no weaning period and no warning of the side effects (drowsiness). Sounded like it was clearly a decision inspired by a pharmaceutical incentive to the doctor.

[tim armstrong]

Maybe I've been lucky. But I've had surgery at a local (provincial) orthopaedic hospital and the whole process was as good as any in Oz or UK, especially concern about infection control. But then again many of our local medical specialists are western trained. There is also 4 private hospitals in town, and we have a very large and influential Thai-Chinese business community, who expect, the same as they give in business - higher standards.

[ableguy]

Know a guy here in Hua Hin was being treared at one of the hospitals for chest pains with a variety of anti biotics and liquid cough formula, whilst visiting UK he went to see locak doctor, was ex rayed only to find double lung cancer and given 10 months to live, scary stuff

[henrylao]

As some might know, I am also trying to find the right doctor for me at the moment, I came across a page which allows to rate thai doctors, maybe that helps: www.mythaidoctors.com

So how about we start a list of the good doctors who have gone through rigorous training in western countries which is less subjective then the one mentioned before?

I often wonder how easy it is to get a medical degree here what kind of standards they have in place to prevent cheating and other unscrupulous ways to pass examinations.

I read that article in the Gazette.. it was about a doctor wanting to switch antidrepssents on a patient with no weaning period and no warning of the side effects (drowsiness). Sounded like it was clearly a decision inspired by a pharmaceutical incentive to the doctor.

[Sheryl]

Unfortunately there are very few reviews or ratings given on that site. Almost all the docs have "0 reviews" . Useful in terms of finding out where specialists are, and it does flag those with Board Certification in the US, but that's about it.

Other thing one has to consider is that reviews, both good and bad, can be biased. Patients are more likely to post if angry or upset about something, and then you get only one side of the story. And doctors have been known to ask people to post favorably about them or even do so themselves pretending to be patients (it's happened on this board, more than once-- not the best docs of course, they don't need to, but there are some enterprising folk out there eager to tap into the expat market).