My Review Of Bangkok Adventist Hospital

[phuturatica]

So unfortunately my body gave in and I got sick recently and I had to be admitted to hospital. Now the idea of being in hospital kinda terrified me seeing that I have a pretty serious health condition that I can't get insured over.

Anyways, last week I got a kidney infection and I went to see a renal specialist at Bangkok Medical Centre and he signed me off work sick for a week in order to recover. However not long after this I got food poisoning on top of my kidney infection. Therefore serious dehydration ensued and tortured my poor kidney and body to death to the point I was hospitalized.

I was taken to Bangkok Adventist Hospital by my boyfriend as he had heard it was a fairly decent, not overly expensive hospital and you get quickly seen to.

As soon as I got there, I was in the emergency room and being seen to straight away, I was up on the ward in less than hour after arriving at the hospital. I went for the lowest room option of 700 baht a night and I was looked after incredibly well. The Doctors spoke very good English and the nurses spoke decent English also. They were very attentive to my kidney failure and not only treated me for the food poisoning but for the kidney infection also AND the little head cold and cough I had developed the past weekend.

Considering I went for the lowest room options I was surprised that this was of the same standard I am used to receiving back home in the UK on the NHS. Therefore I was very happy. The food was not amazing but since when is hospital food ever amazing? Besides with food poisoning, eating food was the last thing on my mind.

The most expensive thing out of the whole thing was my in-patient medication and laboratory tests which came to over 10,000 baht. However I was on drip and intravenous antibiotics and on a massive cocktail of drugs. None of which I thought were prescribed to me unnecessarily.

Luckily once they had gotten the food poisoning under control and the diarrhea and sickness had stopped they were able to hydrate me enough to let me go home. I have been sent home with a whole load of drugs for my kidney infection and in case my food poisoning comes back.

The whole cost came to 16,580 baht for about one night in hospital. At first I though this might be a little expensive but after thinking about it and the standard of treatment I received and how quickly they responded to me I think it was well worth it.

Anyways, I would definitely go back there again seeing as I was treated so well and they handled my kidney failure very professionally and well.

[Mobi]

Thanks for an interesting and informative report.

I had never heard of the Adventist hospital. Where is it?

[Tywais]

Thanks for an interesting and informative report.

I had never heard of the Adventist hospital. Where is it?

Appears to be commonly called by the Thais as the Mission Hospital.

http://www.hospitalmaponline.com/bangkok-adventist-hospital-map-103.php

[ddpffft]

one night dehydration 17,000 baht?

(plus $5 for some common antibiotics for the kidneys)

sorry, if its a bit off topic, but do you remember what caused the food poisoning?

Edited August 2, 2012 by ddpffft

[phuturatica]

one night dehydration 17,000 baht?

(plus $5 for some common antibiotics for the kidneys)

sorry, if its a bit off topic, but do you remember what caused the food poisoning?

I am not quite sure what caused the food poisoning. I ate chicken at the peri-peri nando's chicken place in Terminal 21 on the Sunday after my appointment with a renal specialist. However my friend ate the same thing and she was fine. Also we ate at about 4pm and I didn't start getting sick till 1am the next day. But that's the only thing I ate that could have given me food poisoning as I didn't eat meat after that.

Total in-patient medication costs was about 5,000 baht and this was for rehydration fluids, intravenous antibiotics, anti-sickness and a whole load of other oral tablets. The thing that was the most pricey was the laboratory tests and scans which cost close to 6,000 baht.

Obviously it was not cheap and I'm fully aware of that, however I was very happy with the standard of treatment and care. I would go back there again if I was sick.

[ddpffft]

i was wondering, if the "food poisoning" wasnt really a food poisoning but a "symptom" of the renal failure, or maybe of medication you took...

after all i have read about renal things, i would have all the liver blood tests done...

Edited August 3, 2012 by ddpffft

[zzdocxx]

Glad to hear you are doing well.

[phuturatica]

i was wondering, if the "food poisoning" wasnt really a food poisoning but a "symptom" of the renal failure, or maybe of medication you took...

after all i have read about renal things, i would have all the liver blood tests done...

No it was definitely food poisoning and not a symptom of renal failure. They tested for food poisoning and found E-Coli in my system.

[lopburi3]

Suspect we all have some E-Coli so that would not seem to mean much unless the type known. Mayo Clinic says the most likely type to cause problems "Signs and symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infections typically begin three or four days after exposure to the bacteria, though you may become ill as soon as one day afterward to more than a week later."

"But that's the only thing I ate that could have given me food poisoning as I didn't eat meat after that." Not all food poisoning would be due to meat eating I am sure.

[ddpffft]

have you got a copy of all your tests and lab results?

[Sheryl]

I agree that this hospital is not inexpensive, and also that it has a good standard of care. Another advantage to it is that it has some western docs on staff and sometimes it is nice just to be able to talk straight and in full with your physician about things.

Other than cost its greatest limitation is just its size; it's small with limited range of specialists. That same smallness may account for how friendly it is, though.

[VintageTQ]

I think this goes to prove that health insurance is a must in Thailand. How anyone can think 1nights care at 16,000 baht isnt expensive is beyond me.

What if one got really sick and had to spend 2-3 weeks (maybe longer) in hospital.....

[phuturatica]

I think this goes to prove that health insurance is a must in Thailand. How anyone can think 1nights care at 16,000 baht isnt expensive is beyond me.

What if one got really sick and had to spend 2-3 weeks (maybe longer) in hospital.....

For a private hospital with decent health care you could definitely pay A LOT more, trust me. Government hospitals are obviously much cheaper but there can be the obstacles of having to jump through hoops and waiting time before you get treated. Also their English is not amazing sometimes.

[Sheryl]

Even at a government hospital, one can easily wrack up 1-2 million baht in costs if major surgery, ICU care etc involved. As, for example, when people are in car/motorcycle accidents.

Insurance is essential, or else self-insurance with a large sum tucked away.

[VintageTQ]

Even at a government hospital, one can easily wrack up 1-2 million baht in costs if major surgery, ICU care etc involved. As, for example, when people are in car/motorcycle accidents.

Insurance is essential, or else self-insurance with a large sum tucked away.

What happens if a Thai has no money and no insurance? surely they are not just left to die?

[lopburi3]

Thai have healthcare system as is true in most countries - most foreigners are not a part of that.