How to make a complaint to the appropriate authorities at the Naval Hospital at Sattahip?

[Mobi]

If you read my thread on gallbladder problems, you will see that after two months of tests and ‘fluffing around’, a junior doctor at the Q Sirikit naval hospital at Sattahip told me that there is nothing wrong with me and to go home.

This is in spite of the fact that I have had chronic diarrhoea for many months and suffer from abdominal pains so severe that even high dosage opiate pain killers barely touch the pain.

Upon reflection, I feel that I have been fobbed off, probably because my case is too complex for them to bother with.

I am wondering if I may have some recourse to a higher authority but have no idea how to go about this.

My GF is very diligent in helping me through the Thai bureaucracy that exists in such places but I very much doubt whether she would be able to find out who to see.

I don’t want to complain just for the sake of complaining, but in order to get a medical result. If this is not possible then I will give up.

Does anyone have any ‘previous’ on this?

[Tolley]

I would suggest putting your efforts elsewhere like trying to get your problem fixed rather than wasting time on people who havent been able to help you.

What's the point?

[watcharacters]

I'm afraid what

Tolley, is telling you in so many words is that there's limited to no recourse for medical malpractice/malfeasance in Thailand

We, just as is the average Thai, are left to our own device.

Can you manage to get to your home country for attention? That might be the direction which would best work for you.

Good luck!

[Riley'sLife]

Time for a second opinion, not time for complaining......unless you don't have enough stress and frustration in your life already!

I know of a superb, professional Thai specialist but he's located about as far away from you as it is possible to be and still be in Thailand. Anyway, feel free to PM for more info.

[Mobi]

I would suggest putting your efforts elsewhere like trying to get your problem fixed rather than wasting time on people who havent been able to help you.

What's the point?

Actually there could be a lot of point if I could get through to the right person.

They have all my tests results and my complex medical records to hand and to start all over yet again would be a real hassle. It took nearly 2 months for all their people (cardio, Diabetes, etc) to get up to speed with my various medical conditions.

I may be wrong but I think that my gastro specialist just can’t be bothered to look into my case any further as it is too much hassle. This is not the first time I have come across this attitude. Some Thai docs are great and others just don’t care – especially where farangs are concerned as they think we’re all going to go back to our own countries sooner or later.

I had a similar problem not long ago at BPH where the cardiologist clearly wasn’t interested in my problems. I found the right person to complain to and was assigned a new specialist who couldn’t have been more tuned in and helpful.

The same could happen at the naval hospital – a word in the right place may produce a change of attitude and maybe a different doctor. It’s worth a go as I really can’t face starting all over again.

Sure I can ask the hospital to copy all my files notes, test results etc, but whenever I’ve done this before, (a) it takes forever, (they are not computerised), ( they usually do a shoddy job and don’t copy everything properly and © the doctor at the new hospital just skim reads it as he really wants to start all over and do his own tests.

All the above means that it is at least worth the effort of trying to find someone who may be able to fix things for me before I give up and move on, as there is absolutely no guarantee that the next place will be any better.

[Mobi]

I'm afraid what

Tolley, is telling you in so many words is that there's limited to no recourse for medical malpractice/malfeasance in Thailand

We, just as is the average Thai, are left to our own device.

Can you manage to get to your home country for attention? That might be the direction which would best work for you.

Good luck!

I'm looking for help - a second opinion or whatever - not seeking to sue anyone - as you say its a waste of time and any way that's not what I'm looking for. Just a name a name or a procedure if anyone happens to know. If it was Rajavithi hospital in Bangkok I'd know exactly where to go.

Going back to my own country is not a realistic option for a number of reasons I won't go into.

[Mobi]

Time for a second opinion, not time for complaining......unless you don't have enough stress and frustration in your life already!

I know of a superb, professional Thai specialist but he's located about as far away from you as it is possible to be and still be in Thailand. Anyway, feel free to PM for more info.

As I've said elsewhere, the point of complaining is to get a positive result - not just complain for the sake of it.

I'm not interested in the blame game, just getting someone to look at my files and suggest a course of action. If it works that could be much less stressful than starting aover and having to go through all this BS again to bring everyone up top speed, with no guarantee of a better result at the end of it all.

[Sheryl]

Mobi,

In your other thread you report being told "It’s not surgical, go see the medical department". Which is NOT the same as "nothing wrong with you, go home".

Why do you need someone in admin to step in? Can you not on your own see a GI specialist in the internal medicine dept? (or change GI specialists, as you are not happy with one you have)?

I do not get the impression you are being intentionally "fobbed off". They just have not been able to identify the cause of your pain, despite a wide range of diagnostic tests. Until/unless they know what is causing the symptoms, they can't treat it. A number of possibilities, including that suggested by your doc in the UK have now evidently been excluded.

I'm afraid all you can do is be patient and keep going back to the GI doc letting him know the pains have continued. If he says he has completely run out of ideas/cannot offer anything then ask him for a referral to another doctor.

[Mobi]

Mobi,

In your other thread you report being told "It’s not surgical, go see the medical department". Which is NOT the same as "nothing wrong with you, go home".

Why do you need someone in admin to step in? Can you not on your own see a GI specialist in the internal medicine dept? (or change GI specialists, as you are not happy with one you have)?

I do not get the impression you are being intentionally "fobbed off". They just have not been able to identify the cause of your pain, despite a wide range of diagnostic tests. Until/unless they know what is causing the symptoms, they can't treat it. A number of possibilities, including that suggested by your doc in the UK have now evidently been excluded.

I'm afraid all you can do is be patient and keep going back to the GI doc letting him know the pains have continued. If he says he has completely run out of ideas/cannot offer anything then ask him for a referral to another doctor.

for the sake of clarity, here is what i wrote on my other thread

"Probably my fault for not making it clear what happened.

The doctor came to see me and said 'nothing wrong - go home.' and she started to leave the room

It was only after I pressed her at some length that she she somewhat reluctantly said words to the effect that if I was not happy, I should go back the the 'medical dept'.

There was no referral, (like there was when I started the process, from medical to surgical etc), and It was like extracting blood out of a stone, and believe me, as far as she was concerned my 'treatment' was at an end. Again, I pressed her as to the causes and she said 'probably ibs'.

Before leaving, we checked with the ward nurse in charge and she said that if I wanted to go back to 'medical' I would have to start all over again and make my own appointments.

I have to say IMHO that it was less than I could reasonably expect after 2 months of treatment,including many outpatient visits and 3 days in hospital and I do not think it is right that I had no opportunity to discuss anything with the specialist who recommended and carried out the procedures, especially as I am still continuing to suffer from the original symptoms. and am in considerable distress.

Am I wrong?.....or have I missed something?"

I do feel very strongly that I was being 'fobbed off'. I have been to many hospitals in Thailand for a period dating back to the 1970's and i have been particularly 'active' on the hospital front over the past decade or so, so I think I know when i am being fobbed off.

The doc who came to see me said nothing about seeing GI specialist and had zero interest in discussing anything with me. It may not have been her fault as she might well have just been relaying a message from her boss, Either way it was badly handled, and I feel I am right in needing to ensure that someone someone somewhere takes this seriously or I will continue to go round in circles and get nowhere.

[kikoman]

Time for a second opinion, not time for complaining......unless you don't have enough stress and frustration in your life already!

I know of a superb, professional Thai specialist but he's located about as far away from you as it is possible to be and still be in Thailand. Anyway, feel free to PM for more info.

As I've said elsewhere, the point of complaining is to get a positive result - not just complain for the sake of it.

I'm not interested in the blame game, just getting someone to look at my files and suggest a course of action. If it works that could be much less stressful than starting aover and having to go through all this BS again to bring everyone up top speed, with no guarantee of a better result at the end of it all.

I guess my reasons are selfish, but I think if you are not satisfied with your medical care you should move on to another hospital.

I had been a patient at the Sattahip Naval Hospital, and the military hospitals in Kilo tip and Nakhon Sawan. Feel free to go to the Farang hospital in Pattaya, who will gladly give you whatever type of test you request but at a price.

The military hospitals do not have to treat Farang patients, they have big caseloads of Thai patients, As Thailand is just opening up and offering affordable insurance for treatment to Farangs under the 30 baht scheme and now is not a good time to be filing unsubstantiated complaints at those hospitals.

In my home country the common response is to get a independent second opinion. If the opinion concurs with the doctor at the hospital you have no basis to complain. If the second opinion shows you have a problem in the area of care at that hospital, then you have a bases for a complaint.

To simply complaint about your doctor's competency, based solely or your assumption that there is a medical condition present that he could not or would not find. Is counter productive to the hospitals continued treatment of Farangs that do have an identifiable medical condition.

Now for my own selfish reasons, I have just yesterday enrolled in the affordable insurance plan under the 30 baht scheme and will receive medical care for a terminal medical condition.

If someone has a valid complaint about their treatment at the hospital, by all means seek redress, but to complain because you feel you have a medical condition they did not concur with. Only does a disservice to us Farangs that do have a medical condition and need continued hospital care.

Your reluctance to get a second opinion is one that could reflect badly on all Farang's that Thailand's consideration of our medical needs will provide more problem's to the continued offering of affordable medical care to the foreigners in Thailand.

Again just my own selfish opinion.

Cheers:

[Mobi]

Thank you kikoman for your thoughtful response.

You appear to be suggesting that any complaint from me will in some way jeopardise your 30 Baht health coverage…..

Honestly, I ask you….

Let’s get this clear once and for all. I am not suggesting there was incompetence on the part for the surgeon, but I simply need a re-appraisal of my situation and a point in the right direction, as it clearly cannot be right to tell someone who is suffering from chronic diarrhoea and acute pains in the abdomen to ‘go home there’s nothing wrong’.

This may entail a referral to a GI specialist, as Sheryl has suggested, or maybe a review of my records by another surgeon. Who knows? I am not a doctor.

Yes, I need a second opinion, but rather than start all over somewhere else I would much rather stick with the naval hospital as I have by no means given up on them and in the main I have found the staff helpful and competent. It is much better than some other places I could mention.

Again, maybe my ‘complaint’ terminology is at fault. What I really want to do is speak to a ‘competent authority’ and have my medical situation reviewed. That is all.

I am not going to go into some admin office and start screaming and shouting and get farangs a bad name. Indeed when I had my heart operation at Rajavithi in Bangkok, (a government hospital), I wrote a letter of commendation to the hospital for the excellent care I received and delivered it personally to the director of the hospital. The surgeon who carried out my op was over the moon, and she told me my letter would help in getting additional funds allocated to her department.

I have been in Thailand a long time, I speak the language and I understand the system. Rest assured, your 30 Baht medical coverage is not at risk from the likes of me.

Anyway, I am clearly not going to get any specific advice on how to go about contacting someone in the hospital who may be able to help me, (which was the reason for the thread in the first place), so I suggest the thread be closed before I am accused of having all farangs in Thailand being excluded from medical treatment.

[Tolley]

Thank you kikoman for your thoughtful response.

You appear to be suggesting that any complaint from me will in some way jeopardise your 30 Baht health coverage…..

Honestly, I ask you….

Let’s get this clear once and for all. I am not suggesting there was incompetence on the part for the surgeon, but I simply need a re-appraisal of my situation and a point in the right direction, as it clearly cannot be right to tell someone who is suffering from chronic diarrhoea and acute pains in the abdomen to ‘go home there’s nothing wrong’.

This may entail a referral to a GI specialist, as Sheryl has suggested, or maybe a review of my records by another surgeon. Who knows? I am not a doctor.

Yes, I need a second opinion, but rather than start all over somewhere else I would much rather stick with the naval hospital as I have by no means given up on them and in the main I have found the staff helpful and competent. It is much better than some other places I could mention.

Again, maybe my ‘complaint’ terminology is at fault. What I really want to do is speak to a ‘competent authority’ and have my medical situation reviewed. That is all.

I am not going to go into some admin office and start screaming and shouting and get farangs a bad name. Indeed when I had my heart operation at Rajavithi in Bangkok, (a government hospital), I wrote a letter of commendation to the hospital for the excellent care I received and delivered it personally to the director of the hospital. The surgeon who carried out my op was over the moon, and she told me my letter would help in getting additional funds allocated to her department.

I have been in Thailand a long time, I speak the language and I understand the system. Rest assured, your 30 Baht medical coverage is not at risk from the likes of me.

Anyway, I am clearly not going to get any specific advice on how to go about contacting someone in the hospital who may be able to help me, (which was the reason for the thread in the first place), so I suggest the thread be closed before I am accused of having all farangs in Thailand being excluded from medical treatment.

The poblem lies in your original post.

The gist of that post suggests that you want to complain about alledged medical incompetence but then you go on in later posts to say that you really only want someone else from the same hospital to look at your case.

[Sheryl]

Agreed, but perhaops that initial post was made in the e=heat of emotion as OP was understandably disappointed and frustrated that the tests had failed to yield anything and gthe doctor had nothing to offer.

I think the Op has at this point agreed that what is important is moving forward to find a solution to his health issue. As there is another thread open on that, this one is now closed.