Bangkok Hospital Koh Samui

[delgarcon]

Saturday I had a bit of a scare and was taken by speedboat from Koh Phangan to Bangkok Hospital Koh Samui. I'd had difficulty breathing during the night and was examined by the local doctor in KP hospital. My ECG panicked him I think, hence the speedboat (which incidently is just not equipped for emergencies). Anyway after another ECG in BH hospital they decided they wanted to keep me overnight but told me that there would be no cardiologist in Koh Samui before Tuesday. They gave me an estimate of 60000 to 68000 baht for staying the night under care, asking me to pay 80% up front, which I wasn't prepared to do (they got 21000 out of me for the speedboat and ambulance ride etc). When I asked the administrative nurse why they ripped off foreigners in such a way she just smiled and suggested that I went to the government hospital, so I got in a taxi and did just that. They looked after me well and the next day (Sunday) I went back home as I was feeling much better. Today, Monday I flew to Bangkok Hospital, Bangkok to see a cardiologist, who charged me 700 baht for an ECG and consultation. He didn't try to keep me in hospital and put my mind at rest with an explanation of what the problem is.

[Sheryl]

Koh Samui and Koh Phagnan are not provincial capitals and do not have more than basic medical care to offer. Same would apply for pretty much all the islands except Phuket. In terms of government facilities they have only health centers and first-tier community hospitals; in terms of private hospitals, the limited demand means that only the most common specialties will be represented and even these will not be available 24/7.

This is a reality which should be taken into account by anyone deciding to live in these locations. People with serious chronic diseases and older persons in particular should be aware of this issue.

The best/nearest option for anyone needing urgent specialized care would be the nearest government provincial or regional hospital; for KPN and Samui this is in Surat Thani town. This would also be the nearest option for non-urgent specialized care except for a few of the more common specialties.

[uhuh]

Bangkok Hospital Samui offers very high quality care in a place that in Thailand normally would have only very basic facilities.

Koh Samui has about 50000 inhabitants, in Thailand, that is a district. A district hospital typically has 30 beds, 2 doctors, X-ray and ultrasound, thats it. No specialists.

Bangkok Samui Hospital has speciallists for internal medicine and for surgery. They have a modern CT and they can do endoscopy, no hospital in a place with 50000 people in Thailand has these things. They even have a psychiatrist, ENT doctor and a neurosurgeon. He takes care of all those motorcycle accident victims with brain injuries, who normally would all die. In a regular place in Thailand (like Udon or Surin), there may be 3 neurosurgeons for 1 million inhabitants. In Samui you have one for 50000 people.

They even have a cardiologist visiting from Bangkok 3 days a week. Try to find a cardiologist in any district of 50000 people in Thailand! Even Nong Khai doesnt have a cardiologist, and thats a provincial capital.

All this doesn't come for free. Bangkok Hospital Samui has about the highest prices for medical care in Thailand.

Edited May 15, 2013 by uhuh

[Sheryl]

I quite agree that Bkk Samui Hosp has as much of a capacity as can be expected given the population size it serves (and keeping in mind that tourists are generally a pretty healthy bunch). And that both given that it is a private for-profit and that it doesn't have much in the way of economies of scale, high prices are to be expected.

Thta doesn't change the fact that it is not -- and cannot be, for the reasons listed -- a fully equipped tertairy level facility able to handle the full range of medical and surgical needs. It is unrealistic to expect such a thing in a small place like that. I believe it does have arrangements for the transfer of patients it cannot handle, by heliocopter, to BKK Hospital in Bkk. Of course, that is very costly.

Apparently the provision for cardiac emergencies (which is, obviously, not something that a 3x week cardiologist can adequately manage) is to send for the miobile CCU unit from BKK Hosp in Bkk - which would come by heliocopter and escort the patient to Bkk by same, even more expensive and still not optimal (since delays involved), but as good or better than the other available options on the island. The other option would be immediate travel to Surat Thani.

These are limitations that people living there or thinking of moving there need to be aware of and factor in. In particular, anyone there without a good level of insurance cover or substantial private savings should give some serious reconsideration. And I would not advise that anyone with serious cardiovascular disease etc move there.

[uhuh]

I believe it does have arrangements for the transfer of patients it cannot handle, by heliocopter, to BKK Hospital in Bkk.

Not by helicopter, but by fixed-wing aircraft. It is too far for a helicopter. If possible, they use a stretcher on a commercial flight.

Otherwise they send an air ambulance from Bangkok to pick up the patient. This is not included in the hospital cost, it costs about 400000 THB.

Procedures for cardiac emergencies are a bit different from what you write (they rely more on their own means and will usually not have a CCU sent to Samui) but your overall conclusion is correct.

Edited May 16, 2013 by uhuh

[John 1]

I believe it does have arrangements for the transfer of patients it cannot handle, by heliocopter, to BKK Hospital in Bkk.

Not by helicopter, but by fixed-wing aircraft. It is too far for a helicopter. If possible, they use a stretcher on a commercial flight.

Otherwise they send an air ambulance from Bangkok to pick up the patient. This is not included in the hospital cost, it costs about 400000 THB.

Procedures for cardiac emergencies are a bit different from what you write (they rely more on their own means and will usually not have a CCU sent to Samui) but your overall conclusion is correct.

Please post correct information current helicopters in use by Bkk hospital can fly Bkk-Samui and then return.

[uhuh]

I believe it does have arrangements for the transfer of patients it cannot handle, by heliocopter, to BKK Hospital in Bkk.

Not by helicopter, but by fixed-wing aircraft. It is too far for a helicopter. If possible, they use a stretcher on a commercial flight.

Otherwise they send an air ambulance from Bangkok to pick up the patient. This is not included in the hospital cost, it costs about 400000 THB.

Procedures for cardiac emergencies are a bit different from what you write (they rely more on their own means and will usually not have a CCU sent to Samui) but your overall conclusion is correct.

Please post correct information current helicopters in use by Bkk hospital can fly Bkk-Samui and then return.

no, they cannot

First, there are no "helicopters in use by Bkk hospital" - there is just one.

Second, the helicopter has to make a fuel-stop in Chumpon.

This is why it is usually not used to medevac patients from Samui.

It is sometimes used when there is no other aircraft available.

Don't think medevacs from Samui to Bangkok are the norm.

They are expensive, and they are the exception.

Edited May 16, 2013 by uhuh