Where To Go In Cm If You'Re Ill?

[PoodMaiDai]

I think I have a bad case of pneumonia and am new to the area. What knowledgeable clinic or hospital would you recommend where I can hopefully get the correct medicine and diagnoses? Always a little weary of local doctors and possible clip-joint hospitals.

Would RAM Hospital be OK for that? That is closest to me.

[justcruisin]

If you are really crook just beat a path to the nearest hospital,only you will know.

I would highly recommend the Ram Hospital.

If you are a bit crook better to stay home and sip some lemon tea.

[PoodMaiDai]

If you are really crook just beat a path to the nearest hospital,only you will know.

I would highly recommend the Ram Hospital.

If you are a bit crook better to stay home and sip some lemon tea.

I'm heading there in the morning, thanks for the recommendation.

[Steveyf]

i would secondly recommend ram hospital, girlfriend works there she said compared to the goverment hospital she worked before ram is like a hotel

[ShopBoy]

another vote for ram things work systematically there

[Ulysses G.]

I like Ram too and the dental clinic is very well run if you need dental care.

[mallmagician]

Be careful about pricing though. I and several friends have been ripped off by the Ram. They always reduce the bill if you question it, so that says a lot.

A bit more run down but much better prices and service _ McCormick.

[Lizard2010]

I have used the McCormick Hospital.

Will use it again if needed.

[Asmerom]

A bit more run down but much better prices and service _ McCormick.

In my limited experience at McCormick ( I beat a hasty retreat after a revealing interview with a surgeon) I suggest it is just laughable to say the service is "better" than RAM where it's excellent. McCormick's is rough and not so ready. And in my one case incompetent.

[chiang mai]

The OP should read the short narrative in the pinned post in the CM forum entitled "CM doctors and medical specialists", personally I would never go to RAM but instead go to the much larger and substantially higher quality Sripat Hospital, just around the corner.

[uptheos]

I guess the criteria is 'how ill is a person'.?

If you feel you're about to croak, I think being in a hospital where English is very well understood, would be a major criteria. Even our star Thai speakers, might find themselves lost for words, with the grim reaper in the shadows.

[muchogra]

I don't know about Ram CM but Ram Bangkok has been getting quite expensive lately Hope the trend doesn't propagate more than reasonable!

[chiang mai]

I guess the criteria is 'how ill is a person'.?

If you feel you're about to croak, I think being in a hospital where English is very well understood, would be a major criteria. Even our star Thai speakers, might find themselves lost for words, with the grim reaper in the shadows.

It's perhaps worth noting that the doctors and staff at Sripat (13th floor) speak English as well as any I've met at RAM, I understand however that many farangs may feel more comfortable going to RAM because it's more like "home" and has a slightly less "foreign" feel about the place - the trade offs therefore are, quality and cost of medical care in favor of feeling comfortable and I think that RAM perhaps trades on that comfort factor rather than much else these days. Honestly, not trying to be controversial with all of this, just trying to compare objectively.

[Ulysses G.]

The reason I dislike going to Sripat is because it takes MUCH longer to see a doctor on every visit (not just the first one) and (in my experience) the prices are not much less than Ram. I think it is a good hospital, but the long waits really put me off.

If one wants to save a little money, I have heard good things about the hospital across from the Holiday Inn and from what I am told the service is pretty fast.

[uptheos]

I guess the criteria is 'how ill is a person'.?

If you feel you're about to croak, I think being in a hospital where English is very well understood, would be a major criteria. Even our star Thai speakers, might find themselves lost for words, with the grim reaper in the shadows.

It's perhaps worth noting that the doctors and staff at Sripat (13th floor) speak English as well as any I've met at RAM, I understand however that many farangs may feel more comfortable going to RAM because it's more like "home" and has a slightly less "foreign" feel about the place - the trade offs therefore are, quality and cost of medical care in favor of feeling comfortable and I think that RAM perhaps trades on that comfort factor rather than much else these days. Honestly, not trying to be controversial with all of this, just trying to compare objectively.

What's emergency like at Sripat if you are having an infarction?

[uptheos]

The reason I dislike going to Sripat is because it takes MUCH longer to see a doctor on every visit (not just the first one) and (in my experience) the prices are not much less than Ram. I think it is a good hospital, but the waits really put me off.

If one wants to save a little money, I have heard good things about the hospital across from the Holiday Inn and from what I am told the service is pretty fast.

Rajavej is OK and the benefit is that a few seconds after you walk in Saskia or Natasha, who are American & Philippino, both English fluent, are standing next to you and will be around to support you if you want.

[chiang mai]

The reason I dislike going to Sripat is because it takes MUCH longer to see a doctor on every visit (not just the first one) and (in my experience) the prices are not much less than Ram. I think it is a good hospital, but the long waits really put me off.

If one wants to save a little money, I have heard good things about the hospital across from the Holiday Inn and from what I am told the service is pretty fast.

And the last date you went to Sripat was when UG?

Sadly I've had seven visits to Sripat since 1 December, each time an appointment is made and I've never waited more than an hour, when I've been referred during a consultation it's been almost immediate. There is a queue booking system in place where patients booked for a certain date can call on the morning of the appointment and book the earliest queue number.

As for costs: even more sadly, I've had over twenty visits to Sripat since June 2011, no consultation has ever cost me more than THB 400 and none were rushed. X-rays have cost THB 400, MRI's THB 8k, CBC THB 1,500, just to illustrate a few costs. There's nobody on this planet that can produce less expensive invoices for comparable treatment at RAM.

Finally, the one thing that I really like about Sripat is that when a doctor senses that something remains unknown or is out of his/her area of expertise, they are most willing to refer, in five years of treatment at RAM I've never experienced that, there it's more about getting fee income than trying to diagnose and treat the sick.

[chiang mai]

I guess the criteria is 'how ill is a person'.?

If you feel you're about to croak, I think being in a hospital where English is very well understood, would be a major criteria. Even our star Thai speakers, might find themselves lost for words, with the grim reaper in the shadows.

It's perhaps worth noting that the doctors and staff at Sripat (13th floor) speak English as well as any I've met at RAM, I understand however that many farangs may feel more comfortable going to RAM because it's more like "home" and has a slightly less "foreign" feel about the place - the trade offs therefore are, quality and cost of medical care in favor of feeling comfortable and I think that RAM perhaps trades on that comfort factor rather than much else these days. Honestly, not trying to be controversial with all of this, just trying to compare objectively.

What's emergency like at Sripat if you are having an infarction?

Have no idea and hope never to find out. But based on the law of averages, size of the Trauma Centre, association with CMU et al, it should be amongst the leaders - it's a 2,500 bed centre.and by far the largest around so you decide.

[Ulysses G.]

And the last date you went to Sripat was when UG?

About a year ago. All I can say is that I went there quite often for a month or two and usually had to wait a minimum of several hours to be seen. Usually my appointment was for early in the morning and I would still be waiting at lunchtime when the doctor would leave for an hour or more and they would tell me to come back after lunch. That really put me off the place.

[chiang mai]

And the last date you went to Sripat was when UG?

About a year ago. All I can say is that I went there quite often for a month or two and usually had to wait a minimum of several hours to be seen. Usually my appointment was for early in the morning and I would still be waiting at lunchtime when the doctor would leave for an hour or more and they would tell me to come back after lunch. That really put me off the place.

I suspect that things have changed somewhat, I would urge people who are interested in the best quality health care they can find to give it a try. On a selfish point I hope nobody does because I would prefer the place doesn't change!

[koosdeboer]

The reason I dislike going to Sripat is because it takes MUCH longer to see a doctor on every visit (not just the first one) and (in my experience) the prices are not much less than Ram. I think it is a good hospital, but the long waits really put me off.

If one wants to save a little money, I have heard good things about the hospital across from the Holiday Inn and from what I am told the service is pretty fast.

And the last date you went to Sripat was when UG?

Sadly I've had seven visits to Sripat since 1 December, each time an appointment is made and I've never waited more than an hour, when I've been referred during a consultation it's been almost immediate. There is a queue booking system in place where patients booked for a certain date can call on the morning of the appointment and book the earliest queue number.

As for costs: even more sadly, I've had over twenty visits to Sripat since June 2011, no consultation has ever cost me more than THB 400 and none were rushed. X-rays have cost THB 400, MRI's THB 8k, CBC THB 1,500, just to illustrate a few costs. There's nobody on this planet that can produce less expensive invoices for comparable treatment at RAM.

Finally, the one thing that I really like about Sripat is that when a doctor senses that something remains unknown or is out of his/her area of expertise, they are most willing to refer, in five years of treatment at RAM I've never experienced that, there it's more about getting fee income than trying to diagnose and treat the sick.

My experience; Went to chiangmai ram in 2008 because of pain in my rib. X ray done, shows a tumour, doctor says "no problem, non malignant. I asked "do I have to come back later for a check"? Answer "up to you, if you like you can do an X ray next year".

Didn't trust him and went to sripat. Ct scan done and send to another specialist. Diagnosis, cancer, multiple myeloma.

Now I live and can tell the story. I would be dead a long time already if I had listened to the "specialist" in chiangmai ram.

Sripat has all the specialists, Chiang mai ram certainly not.

[chiang mai]

Shades of that story are all too common I'm afraid, I've got a couple of my own along similar lines but it gets old repeating them and it seems that you can't convince people with such details. I'm very pleased however that you got the result that you did, many people may doubt such tales but I certainly don't.

I think the key question that folks need to ask them selves is this: if you're looking for the best health care you can find and the highest quality medical expertise available, where would you look. Would you look in the private hospital;s that operate on an almost totally unregulated basis and the main motivation to work there is high fees, or, would you look in the University teaching hospitals where the lecturers and professors still practice medicine and where peer pressure itself provides self regulation. For me it's an easy answer.

[PoodMaiDai]

Went to RAM today, was a little more beat up than I expected, but the service was excellent and the price was fair.

Will live to die another day.

[Ulysses G.]

I do not consider myself to be an expert on hospitals and I hope that I never am, but many people consider Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok to be among the best in the country and there plenty of people on the internet complaining about mistakes that they have made. My guess is that pretty much every doctor and every hospital makes mistakes from time to time.

[hml367]

I do not consider myself to be an expert on hospitals and I hope that I never am, but many people consider Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok to be among the best in the country and there plenty of people on the internet complaining about mistakes that they have made. My guess is that pretty much every doctor and every hospital makes mistakes from time to time.

Sometimes the patient's attitude and perspective makes a difference. Just read this thread.

MSPain

[chiang mai]

I do not consider myself to be an expert on hospitals and I hope that I never am, but many people consider Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok to be among the best in the country and there plenty of people on the internet complaining about mistakes that they have made. My guess is that pretty much every doctor and every hospital makes mistakes from time to time.

And I also used to believe that Bumrungrad was the best and for many years I went there for health checks and for treatment whenever I was sick, I even had cardiac surgery there four years ago hence I put a lot of faith in that place. It all turned around for me when I had two botched consultations on the same day, the first was when an orthopedic surgeon diagnosed my neck problems from his side of the desk as being computer overuse related and charged me THB 1,500 for the privilege, the second was with an ENT doctor with Parkinsons who patently did not understand what a salivary gland duct is and charged me THB 1,800. I complained to the hospital about those consultations and a farce of an investigation ensued whereby my very capable endocrinologist was obliged to sing the party hymn and agree with the earlier diagnosis of computer related neck pain, this despite substantially swelling to the neck and face which was determined to be normal! The subsequent diagnosis in Singapore was a stone in the Parotid gland that had blocked the salivary duct and caused infection and which was later surgically removed.

So yes, everyone can make mistakes, even doctors and I accept that, I accept there's always a risk every time I consult with a doctor that he/she may get it wrong and cause harm. But as a sensible patient I need to do due diligence, did the doctor do what appeared to be sensible things, does the diagnosis sound probable given my limited knowledge, did the doctor clearly make a mistake and admit his/her error and move to correct it, do the doctors act in a professional manner, is the institution using best endeavors? When the answers to those questions become no then it's clearly time to look somewhere else for treatment.

[Sparkles]

I do not consider myself to be an expert on hospitals and I hope that I never am, but many people consider Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok to be among the best in the country and there plenty of people on the internet complaining about mistakes that they have made. My guess is that pretty much every doctor and every hospital makes mistakes from time to time.

I will join the list of people who have had a bad diagnosis at Bumungrad, when working in Bangkok.It wouldn't necessarily stop me from going there again but it sure would not be to see the same Specialist.I think we are very fortunate to have some excellent Hospitals and Doctors here in CM and its a myth that all the good Doctors are in Bangkok. Some Doctors prefer to work and live here and not Bangkok .Can you blame them ?

[Ulysses G.]

I think we are very fortunate to have some excellent Hospitals and Doctors here in CM

We are indeed and some very good dental clinics as well.

[NancyL]

Good to know the OP got treated and is satisfied.

This thread is valuable in that the same hospital names keep coming up. Some people like Ram, some like Sripat and Rajavej gets "honorable mention" I think many long-term expats in CM would agree those seem to be the three main hospitals that expats use.

As was pointed out, you're going to find good and bad reports on every doctor and hospital. It's a matter of looking at overall pattern of feedback. Also, just because one doctor makes a bad call doesn't mean the entire institution is bad.

Hubby wasn't happy with the story he heard at CM Ram about a problem he had last year. Many in CM recommended that doctor, but Hubby didn't want to accept what he recommended. So we went down to Bumrungrad, where we got a slightly different story and treatment that was to my husband's liking. That doesn't mean we'll never go back to Ram. We just won't use that particular doctor in the future.

There's something to be said about ease of dealing with a hospital. We've never had to wait more than 20 minutes at Ram and there are good English-speakers throughout the staff not just among the doctors. I've known people hospitalized at Rajavej and while the doctors speak good English, it can be frustrating to be a patient confined to bed and unable to communicate a simple request (like may I have some more water?) to the staff.

[Lizard2010]

We all hope we get the correct treatment we need.