Option To Thailand Medical "care"

[pinfold]

Have never participated in admiration of anything Thailand regarding medical field through past experiences , sheer exploitation and mis diagnosis. Travel to India,for sure Thailand is blessed by the finest and what must be the cheapest care available in the world on its doorstep.

Travelled recently regarding eye surgery,but advised against it as eyes had not disintegrated enough to warrant surgery(+2) and also took opportunity for regular preventative procedure ,available here ,there also. Colonoscopy with gastroscopy ,use of instruments,sedation etc with a bill of around £68. Three polyps removed (1upper,two lower) Pathology reports @£11 each,delivered in 4 to 5 days. The £ is at a recent high against the Rp

The professionalism "can do ,will do" as soon as I arrived was exemplary,the charm witticism and disarming approach by all doctors concerned was remarkable. Was apparent at the particular hospital used was health tourism,Many a patient (white) appeared to have travelled from afar seeking treatment.

Seeking treatment for months for torn muscle in knee in Thailand,I gave it up as a bad job to seek treatment in India ,bill came to $700,after quotes in Thailand of $12000 and heading skywards. My only complaint about using India for this treatment would be woken at 5am (had private room) for leg shaving and port placed in arm. A truly satisfactory ending.

I did communicate with a few local ex pats while there recently as to their experiences and hospitals used,various estimates of £150 was quoted for surgery for fractured arm or leg, false hip as one was sporting £1300. hospital stay of £22 per night. There are hospitals there that are truly on the tourist circuit and I avoid or a bill fitting them would undoubtedly arrive. Quite a few walking wounded and wheelchair assisted were in evidence on return flight,obviously after surgery,fact is flight AI 330 at 2230 GOI to BKK brief touchdown at BOM to disgorge its passengers onto other flights looked like a battlefield evacuation on that particular night. One Thai ex pat met there sporting new set of gnashes.

Rosuvastatin prescribed ,50% reduction in statin intake (never heard of it beforehand) Returning to India fo another procedure in few months time(after monsoon)Eight pages of blood testing results with T3,T4 and TSH included @£26 all in

India from BKK can be reached for a little over £100 by air,but do not think arrival point would be my first choice,might give Pondicherry the chance to see my ass next time.

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[marstons]

Thailand is not cheap anymore and Doctors variable. I have 3 opinions on a knee problem Bangkok Bangkok hospital, Bumrungrad and another who's name escape's me. One wanted to put artificial cartilage between my knee, another chip away part of my knee knuckle and another cut me from the hip to the knee and insert a plate, a week in hospital and bed bound for 6 weeks, he did comment I know in UK they say can walk after 4-5 days but he said screws break and need another operation and more money. one has to wonder what's the difference between UK screws and Thai. No cracks about the screw word.

Defiantly financially way cheaper than here for your procedure which I also had done in Bangkok Bangkok it was at least £300 a few years ago.

(Colonoscopy with gastroscopy)

[Sheryl]

Military hospitals are often a good and less expensive option for matters orthopedic.

[oxymoron]

Would have been nice for the OP to mention the city/hospitals he is lauding.

India's a very very big place

[marstons]

Military hospitals are often a good and less expensive option for matters orthopedic.

I have heard that, just moved to Udon and there is army hospital here so will be paying a visit. My friend is physio for a premier league football team and he says MRI is essential but for some unknown reason doctors here don't want to do it. The surgeon he deals with is taking care of the likes of Man United, Liverpools etc players leg problems so should know his stuff. So maybe will get MRI on request and send it to UK, but will defiantly be giving the army hospital a visit.

[lopburi3]

Am not sure what doctor would not want the information from an MRI here - my wife had in government hospital more than a decade ago so they are made and used. But it is an expensive procedure/limited equipment and queue for most people and often only as secondary to cheaper x-rays for details that only it can provide. But be aware the physical size of many foreigners is also a factor in doctors thinking for the normal closed type system.

[Sheryl]

Thai doctors usually have no hesitation about doing MRI when it is (1) indicated and (2) available.

Many hospitals lack an MRI machine, however. And within the public health system there are very long waits for the procedure as well as often a need to go elsewhere for it.

Another factor may be cost, in the case of patients covered by wither the Thai Social Security or "gold card" schemes, as in both systems hospitals are reimbursed a flat rate for the number of people enrolled and thus stand to lose money if expensive procedures are done with any frequency. this effect is most notable in private hospitals that accept patients from the SS scheme. (Govt hospitals always run at a sizable loss anyhow, and can't make a profit...but private hospitals seek profit, by definition, and accepting SS pts will provide that only if these patients on average do not receive much expensive care).

If you see an orthopedic specialist in a large private hospital on a self-pay (or private insurance) basis you will find no hesitation at all in sending you for an MRI.

[pinfold]

For a short flight and cheap one too,everything that can be had in Thailand can be had in India at a fraction of Thailand's prices,( I would say starting at one tenth of Thailand's prices) probably a lot more efficiently too. The MRI scanner I used there in Dona Paula ,Goa ( Radiance Diagnostics) was the latest imagining device produced,something like $50 for a knee scan,$250 for whole body scan taking over 2 hours,booked the day before. Was 2 years ago ,anyone interested I guess can Skype them for latest prices. Went on and was operated on the day after,flew out day after that,had the staples removed after 8 days here in Thailand, Fantastic For establishments there that quote" If Its bone we perform miracles" I guess they do as health tourism is alive and well.

Edited May 1, 2013 by pinfold

[Sheryl]

Would you be so kind as to give the names of the hospital(s) you went to?

[pinfold]

Would you be so kind as to give the names of the hospital(s) you went to?

, Visionspecialty Hospital Mapusa, Goa (most recent), (colonoscopy/gastrocopy( £68),heart stress testing (approx £18),prostate examination (free) ultrasound/examination(free) but probably built into the previous quoted use of instrument fee of £68. Pathology testing at £11 each test as to each specimen submitted.. Blood testing at Thyrocare Mapusa,Goa,plus other procedures .Other hospitals I trawled around too,just was in the vicinity of the one quoted above for treatment

Vintage Hospital Medical research Centre, Panjim,for colonscopy/gastocopy,Had cheaper quote from this one for leg surgery,but best surgeon reputedly at latter RG Stone (Urology) for prostate Povorim (camera up the ass), Panjim Clinic (not hospital) for leg operation and about 20 months ago.

Good quality hospitals are not just specifically in the area used but are widespead,even the bog standard Indian hospital I would consider good Probably in a less touristy area the prices shown would be a lot less.

Point of interest, the flushing agent used before initial colonoscopy,the doctor assured me would work within three hours,took it ,yes went 5 times ,sedated and up the ass,but blockage,western men especially as informed do not rid themselves as quickly as orientals. Took second dose that same evening,returned following morning,seen as I arrived. No extra charge.

£20 a day for taxi hire .probably less,would get you around the hospital,blood testing station,and pathology clinic

Edited May 1, 2013 by pinfold

[pinfold]

Would you be so kind as to give the names of the hospital(s) you went to?

Here is a price list regarding one Indian hospital,knew I had seen one recently. These will be prices for tourists,they could be easily halved and probably reduced more,if treatment was sought in non-tourist area. Plenty more publish price lists too

pricing india.htm

[pinfold]

This saves me doing a lot of typing if I post this again,sorry Sheryl ! Id say Calcutta is the nearest and cheapest,good hospitals abound dozens of them,next Chennai both on Air Asia routes , then Chennai to Goa ,or Air India down to Goa from Bombay,love that place.

Air Asia India start fling soon,cheaper than cheap then Could link everything ever posted about treatment in Thailand and get it at a fraction of the price in India

[Firefan]

Pinfold; thank you for your interesting input here. Thailand is no longer cheap for medical unless public hospitals (some of which I hear is very good). Guessing the medical tourism (which again is caused by medical "inflation" abroad) is the driving factor in prices going sky high in international hospitals.

I recently changed from my thaihealth.co.th (1M) Baht health insurance to healthcareinternational.com emergency+ (15M Baht) as having 1M baht cover is simply not enough here anymore if want international hospitals.

Cheers!

[pinfold]

Problem with India at the moment with visas is the UK and India have a bit of a spat.

The UK looks as though it is targeting India over immigration issues and raising the bar on fees ,India responds by doing the same. There is only going to be one winner there and it is not going to India,tourism is plunging.

Possible to get a medical visa though,do not know how much. Worth it weight in gold though an open visa to India. If anything should come amiss ill just go down to Malaysia,supposed to almost as good as India

Air India are good for medical evacuation,one stretcher case per flight allowed reading details a while ago,but face it they will take the dead, near dead, and long dead on their flights, just throw a blanket over them,they'll probably smell a whole lot better too than fellow passenger ...hell Ill bet I can get my dog a seat alongside me on a flight too

Edited July 25, 2013 by pinfold

[pinfold]

Which hospitals are any good?,, I asked a couple of GP's as well as my well informed ex bank manager there which the ex pat customers have expressed an interest in and are using regularly,plus on line search. Turned out I used the best surgeon (UK trained) but at higher price ,not much more though,is on the first inclusion on this thread.

For more advanced surgery (heart) I think a hospital KLES in Belguam gets the best write up,about 4 to 5 hours from Goa airport ,seems many returning ex-pats choose that one, big multi specialty hospital, and not particularly on the tourist trail Skype them,once past switchboard their English skills pick up considerably,ask to speak to surgeon,there will be many

Rang Visionespeciality multi whatever in Goa yesterday for the liver biopsy price, there on line. Skype them

Rupee to the £ now must the highest in a long time fantastic value almost 92 to the £

Sorry post 10

I do not like using Bombay or Delhi Just too big Wait until monsoon season over fantastic beaches to recover on

Edited July 31, 2013 by pinfold

[cdnvic]

Removed an off topic argument. If any of the participants restart it, they will be losing their posting rights.

[Lefty]

Thailand's Bangkok tourist hospitals lost their competitiveness many years ago. As an example Bumrungrad hospital website today indicates a Coronary Angiogram average cost of baht 125,250. I was quoted 35,000 Baht at Saint Mary's Hospital here in Korat this month.

Thailand is still cheap.only when measured against MEDICAL cost in USA.

Lefty

[Sheryl]

I think we have beaten this topic into the ground and we seem unable to avoid arguments. Closed.