Overbrook...once again.

[brianmarinus]

I went to my doctor at Overbrook who have been ok. for a very long time and speak also good english but this time he mannaged to piss me off and later a younger doctor at the emergency room.

First i was told nearly a month to buy a lot of different medicine..I was sure it was my gallstone which gave me a lot of pain - and so was my doctor he said.After nearly a month whit no recovery...only exspensive medicine he told me I needed a surgery which wiould cost 60 - 70.000THB.

After my journey to denmark and so money was a bit low and no insurrance to cover it so we agreed that I would go to the hospital and get an injection pain killer when needed for this month but one day I needed to go there at 0.5 in the morning and again in the evening I was told by a young doctor...you are drug addicted!!!

WHAT I said...have never been and will never be but he continued and told me not to come back.

I went to the thai hospital and told the doctor there about this - he just shaked his head,took Xrays and ultra sound pictures and said to me..stay here 3 - 4 days and you will not need a surgery.

He then ordered - no food only salt water and antibiotics in drop.After 4 days he told me to go home when the pain was gone..gave me some medicine and I have not had one day whit any pain since.

Going for a check in 2 days.

I have to say: and this is not the first time they help me at the thai public hospital where Overbrook only have give me exspensive medicine and a small talk - nothing else!

I need to say - I know it is stupid not to have a insurrance and I am going to fix that as soon as possipple - just to cut off the arguing about that question.

I can not think I am the only one whit such an exsperience?

Once again,sorry for my bad english but hope you get it.

[Suradit69]

I have to say: and this is not the first time they help me at the thai public hospital where Overbrook only have give me exspensive medicine and a small talk - nothing else!

And yet you keep going back. It sounds like you're attempting to use this forum to name and shame a business. Hopefully they don't read this and decide to sue you for damaging their reputation.

If you've been well-served by the public hospital and have so many complaints about the other, why do you keep going back there?

You probably felt a loss of face because the first hospital wouldn't keep dishing out drugs to you and said you were relying on them too much. Quite often people who become overly-reliant on pain-killers are in denial about it.

Edited December 29, 2014 by Suradit69

[brianmarinus]

You probably felt a loss of face because the first hospital wouldn't keep dishing out drugs to you and said you were relying on them too much.

Sorry to disapoint you...if you read what I wrote then it was something my doctor said would be ok. and since you dont know anything about me I dont think you schould judge me either as I dont drink and I do not take drugs more then I need to.

I have just been through more then one surgery back home over 4 month + I had/have that gall stone to fight whit so I would say its not just for fun I needed pain killer.

Anyway thanks for reply...have a good day and keep up the good work as the good guardian of morale to other people.

[boomerangutang]

When I had a serious accident 22 months ago, I went first to Overbrook. they fixed me up rather well. My Thai insurance helped with costs. However, I chose to go to the public hospital after 2 nights at Overbrook. I felt Overbrook were over-charging me for staying in the dorm. I stayed 1 night at public hospital, then went home to recover. Doctors at both hospitals thought I was crazy to go home so soon after surgery. Part of the reason was the antibiotic injections which I hated for how they made me feel, psychologically and physically (my jaw tightened and I thought my heart might stop). I knew they were important, but I felt they were too strong doses (I'm 135 lbs). Because I'm a tall farang, they probably gave me the dose for a 250 pounder.

And Overbrook asked if I was Christian. I said 'no.' Found out later that would have enabled a 10% discount. Weird. To discount - based on which cult's myths a person believed in.

[villagefarang]

I have very little experience with hospitals but I would like to wish everyone a much healthier 2015 and I hope none of you have the need to spend time in any hospital this year.

[SiSePuede419]

"get an injection pain killer when needed for this month...told by a young doctor...you are drug addicted!!!

WHAT I said...have never been and will never be"

You don't have to be a Doctor to know that if someone takes "pain killers" over and over again, you become can possibly become addicted.

It's not the addict's fault. It's genetics. Some can quit. Some cannot. Obviously, if someone cannot and they claim they are not addicted, that is only "denial"

http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/prescription-drug-abuse-who-gets-addicted-and-why

[boomerangutang]

I get hay fever twice/year (Oct. and March) here in northern Thailand. Everywhere else I've resided, it was once only, in spring. Pseudo-ephedrine works ok with me (better than other antihistamines). I used to buy Actifed over-the-counter, but since ya-ba makers use pseudo-ephedrine to make drugs, Actifed has only been available by prescription. So twice, I've gone in to Overbrook to get some. I have to sit with a doctor (they're quite young guys, about 21 yrs), and each time (2 years apart) they offer to give me just 20 pills. When I ask for more, they ask if I'll become addicted. I say no (I'm sure pseudo-ephedrine is not addictive, anyway). I pay the small amount for 50 pills ("please doc, ya gotta help me"), and I'm on my way.

Edited January 4, 2015 by boomerangutang

[tom07]

Hi Brian,

thanks for sharing personal insights which I am sure will be helpful to other members who are actually living here, and who are worrying about which doctor/hospital to go to.

I have had pretty bad experiences at Chiang Rai Overbrook, Chiang Rai Sriburin and Chiang Mai Ram.

I have also had pretty good experiences at Chiang Rai Overbrook and Chiang Rai Sriburin.

Many of the GPs (General Practioners - ie normal day-to-day doctors) at these hospitals are rotated up from Bkk on an annual contract. This means that they may (or may not) haver broader experience, but they certainly will be spending a lot of their energy adjusting to their new work environment rather than focusing on patients.

Cheers

Tom

PS . Please never feel you have to apologise for your English, most of us native English speakers are unable to speak any other language at all!