Hospitals In Thailand

[moses]

Hi there

I have a question for you guys, if you want you can pm me or write your answers here - Thank you!

I am a bit conserned about a friend of mine (Thai citizen) who has a daughter 3 years old who has been hospitalised for the past two weeks due to a serios heart condition. (Location Koh Pah Ngan)

Money is not an issue in our relationship, but now the mother has asked me if she can borrow 15000b to pay the hospital.(She has never recieved money from me or asked me for a loan before...) Unfortunately I have lots of expenses the next 2 months due to changing job and movement therefore 15000b is not something I can spare in my finances right now. I talked with her on the telephone today, she knows that I can't help her financially (for the next couple of months anyway) She has 5000b wich she will pay the hospital this week. I asked her if she could pay the 5000b now, and then make an arrangement with the hospital and pay of by the month for instant 2000b a month untill the bill was paid. Weather or not she can do that she did not answer, instead she will try and get a loan or something like that.

Does anyone know how it works when a thai citizen go to a hospital?

Isn't there any insurance that covers cost?

I have heard stories about "farangs" getting heart attacks and because they didn't have any insurance or money the doktors just left them to die...

Is it the same for a Thai citizen? If they dont see money on the table wont they get the treatment they need?

I know that her daughter is under treatment but she is still to weak to leave hospital...

Hope for some answers, and please dont come with sarcastic jokes or anyting like that. The mother haven't slept or eaten probably for the past two weeks. She is forced to start work again in a couple of days and she is in a really bad condition feeling sad, broken and helpless. Please help me understand what is going on here... Thank you!

/Moses

[NedKelly]

Dont reallyknow the answer to this but suspect that at any hospital on Koh Pahnagan Samui she will nto get what she needs as far as treatment goes. She needs to go to at least a provincial hospital and then we come to the money situation. I think Thais can get hospital care for as little as 30 baht but dont count on getting much for that. She really needs to go somewhere else like Bangkok to get better treatment. Maybe you could approach a charity or two and ask for advice or help. Be warned your situation does sound all to familiar here as well !!