Life is Cheaper than I Suspected – A Tale of Cancer

[manarak]

^^^ That's evading the issue, which is the quality of treatment that is supposed to be made available to all and sundry. It is certainly not the kind of thing envisioned by Prince Mahidol. OP, it sounds to me that you have every right to lodge a complaint over this appalling treatment. The medical council - here are the phone numbers - Tel :(0)2590-1880-1, (0)2590-1884, (0)2590-1886-7, (0)2590-1888-9

Your GF should go back to that hospital and confront the doctor. He might be under a lot of pressure because of the ruinous Thaksin health scheme, but that is no excuse for treating an ill patient like cattle. Thoughts go with the GF's mother.

I appreciate your well thought out reply. Thank you.

She did call the hospital back and complained, but I already knew the answer before she told me. They didn't care. As is so often the case in this country (and for you apologists I do like some things about this country, nevertheless our plans to leave are already in the works) complaining never does any good. There is just no sense of "customer service" in this country. I have never heard of an employee getting in trouble for treating a customer badly. The doctor is the employee (probably treated like a God) and the employer is the hospital.

The only time things happen is when social media brings it to a wide audience or the news media gets a hold of it.

My GF will be taking her mother to a private hospital in BKK this week. This hospital is known for their cancer treatment to many Thais. I fear it's too late, but I certainly hope not because she is a wonderful lady; she is modest, unassuming and as sweet as they get.

Compassion and respect of patients' dignity should be guaranteed of course, and judging from your story the hospital and the doctor are certainly to blame for that.

One the other hand, I do not completely disagree with a health system system sending metastased cancer patients home with painkillers.

A health system has to fulfill its societal function of keeping 80 to 90% of its members alive and as healthy as possible within a reasonable budget.

Painkillers? The same stuff you can get at a 7/11...useless to kill real pain.

But you missed the point of the story. It was HOW THE MESSAGE WAS DELIVERED and WHEN, not that she had to go home.

Morphine is a painkiller too.

And my first line was about what you say.

[benalibina]

benalibina, on 08 Nov 2014 - 22:26, said:

Alwyn, on 08 Nov 2014 - 20:51, said:

I returned to the UK after all the anti government protests bankrupt our company. It was fortuitous as I was diagnozed with advanced prostate cancer T3b. This was in June. The doctors, consultants and everybody else involved in my journey have been fantastic. I was also fortunate enough (ironic that I'm thinking anything involved in this is "lucky" of fortunate) to be a patient at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, the UK's number 1 cancer care hospital. God only knows what would have been the outcome if this had been diagnozed in Thailand. Amoxicylin maybe? In my 15 years or so in Thailand I have been to hospital quite a few times and I never once had a positive experience. They are more interested in ripping the spine out of your back than offering any appropriate medication. It's criminal the way they roast the Farang for every baht possible and treating locals as if they are pondlife.

Sad to read your whole post. 1st of all regarding your illness. It must have been quite a shocker for you and worrysome time. 2nd of all ...your experiences with the thai medical profession. As stated before communication is not a strong point of doctors in general, in native language too thus, and cultural differences and crossing language barriers makes it difficult as well. Ofcourse thai private hospitals are in it to make money and they can cross the line to extract money from patients. My experiences, from 1998 and 90% in Phuket with the thai medical profession are mixed. Children related over the whole they were good apart from 1 bad experience but luckily enough i had my witts about, searching internet and speaking to doctors in my homecountry, and a second opinion prevented future damage to my daughters breastarea.

If not for thai doctors ...i would have been dead 15 years ago.......money, insurance thus, made them continue for hours to save my life. In my homecountry they would have stopped to resuscitate me after a while.

So yes money is a driving force but quality is there and one needs to think critically themselves, alot more than needed in the West, and speaking the lingo helps.

" In my homecountry they would have stopped to resuscitate me after a while." you have absolutely no proof that this would have happened, it seems you just need to justify your living in Thailand

Hmmm....interesting. Very. Me justifying medical reasons as for to stay in Thailand.I have read alot of nonsense on this forum but this.....ahhh well.

[Robby nz]

If you want an alternative to costly private (business) hospitals and standard public hospitals go to a military hospital.

I have been treated for cancer, and still go for check ups, at Pramonkutklau hospital in BKK the army base hospital. They have specialists in pretty much everything, several in each specialty and they go out to other military hospitals as needed.

I have also heard good things about the air force hospital at don muang.

[ThaiSmarterThanYou]

one day,

Instead of complaining, why don't you give your girlfriend some money for her mother's cancer treatment at a private hospital?

It is very wrong of you to accuse the OP of complaining, one day you may be in his shoes. How do you know the financial situation of the OP? Try and show a little compassion.

Compassion for what ? He is not the sick one and if he has no money he should have managed to make some !

[steve187]

steve187, on 09 Nov 2014 - 11:10, said:

OP all the best for your MIL

some people on TVF do not engage brain before typing and i wonder why they are associated with Thailand at all, i think they fail to see the importance that Thai people place on family members, something that the west has forgotten over the years, as they neatly tuck older members away in nursing/residential homes, paying a duty visit once in a while

Rubbish... granted there are many in nursing homes, and they are there for very good reasons, not simply because the families do not care...BUT the vast majority still live an independent life with the "help" of their families. I hope YOU intend returning to your home country to look after aged family members.

I still live in my home country my father died running to get on a bus and my mother died at age 86, having lived with me and my Thai wife for 6 months having broken her upper arm, my wife washed and shower her every day. my mothers father lived his years out, in my childhood home with the family. your comments are the opening sentence of my previous post

[NoshowJones]

one day,

Instead of complaining, why don't you give your girlfriend some money for her mother's cancer treatment at a private hospital?

It is very wrong of you to accuse the OP of complaining, one day you may be in his shoes. How do you know the financial situation of the OP? Try and show a little compassion.

Compassion for what ? He is not the sick one and if he has no money he should have managed to make some !

The OP could be living comfortably, but not be able to pay for treatment at a private hospital, I suppose you think that most expats living in Thailand can afford to pay for private hospital treatment,for their in laws. I would doubt that very much, your post really horrifies me.

[natway09]

Get from her Local area a 30bht health card authorization & take her into Rama Thipodi Hospital in Bangkok.

They will send her next door to the cancer Institute once examined & think necessary.

This hospital is seeing over 3,500 outpatients every week

[Lumbini]

Thanks to all who have participated in this thread and I pray your girlfriends mom gets better soon soon . This thread is real wake up call to the things I not let myself see in this country as I make my trips to private hospitals missing the real Thailand I guess . As I walk around seeing luxury cars with 380% luxury tax scattering the streets and right next to them busses filled with sad faces of hard working people paid so little I become numb to the contrast then read this thread . I really have no words but to say the actual Dr.'s must be dealing with very real resource imitations and schedules of being overworked and feel much compassion for their situation .

[maidee]

a bit different from the publicity you see on TRue TV than, where the doctor charges 0 baht