Bumrungrad quarantines 58 staff after MERS incident

[Lite Beer]

Bumrungrad quarantines 58 staff after MERS incident
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- BUMRUNGRAD International Hospital is quarantining 58 of its staff for 14 days after a patient from a Middle Eastern country tested positive for the deadly MERS virus on Thursday, a discovery that also prompted a nationwide alert.

The Bangkok hospital's management Friday said the first case of Middle East respiratory syndrome in Thailand was a walk-in patient from Oman who had heart and respiratory problems.

Concerned that the patient might have MERS, the hospital placed him in a separate room from the outset of his stay despite initial resistance from his relatives.

As a precaution, all 58 personnel including doctors and nurses who had contact with the unnamed Omani are being closely monitored to ensure that the virus does not spread.

The hospital, which is popular among foreign visitors, said it had suspended its services for patients planning to come from at-risk countries such as South Korea and Middle Eastern nations. However, it said it could not turn down walk-in patients, while so far no patient had asked to leave the hospital since the discovery of the MERS victim.

Before the MERS crisis, 20 per cent of Bumrungrad's large number of foreign patients were Middle Easterners.

The hospital said all of its staff who had contact with patients arriving at the hospital had been fully protected since the MERS outbreak, including staff who helped patients get out of vehicles.

The Omani patient arrived at the hospital's emergency room around 9.45pm on Tuesday suffering serious heart and respiratory problems.

On that day he did not have a fever, but by the second day he did.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Bumrungrad-quarantines-58-staff-after-MERS-inciden-30262680.html

-- The Nation 2015-06-19

[thesetat2013]

Are they serious? If they had no clue how had MERS then how can they be so certain no other patients were treated by one of these 58 at risk personnel?

[alocacoc]

In 3-14 Days we will know more.

[BigBadGeordie]

Are they serious? If they had no clue how had MERS then how can they be so certain no other patients were treated by one of these 58 at risk personnel?

The incubation period is from 2 to 14 days, and it is believed that patients are not contagious during the incubation period. However, when a patient has had MERS-CoV, it has then spread to others who are in close physical contact with the patient.May 4, 2014

MERS-CoV: The Bottom Line for Clinicians - Medscape

www.medscape.com/viewarticle/824588

[Prbkk]

It is common that a large number of relatives accompany patients getting treatment, partly cultural and perhaps with more serious illnesses/mature patients, planning for the worst.

Entire hotels/apt buildings/condos are given over to accommodate relatives ( soi 1-3-5) and the visitors frequent the restaurants, markets and other services in that area.

Some of the same issues seen in Korea ( family giving close personal attention for ablutions, feeding etc) also apply with visitors from the ME. It is to be hoped that Thailand has learnt from that unexpected route of transmission in Korea.

[rubl]

Bumrungrad. Isn't that the commercial hospital factory which likes foreign patients with lots of money?

[clockman]

Does anybody remember the web site. Some years ago, called Bumrungrad deaths?

[sfokevin]

Bumrungrad is a private hospital... and a damn good one!

I doubt a Thai public hospital would have moved so decisively to quarantine it staff in the professional manner Bumrungrad has shown...

[Chao Lao Beach]

I am supriesed only 20% of forigen customers are middle eastern. To my eyes it is more liek 90%

Will the Bum be the Thai Hub of this ???

[little mary sunshine]

Bumrungrad is not a factory....I have "first hand knowledge"

Excellent cere, Doctors and Staff. Yes, you get what you

Pay for !! And very inexpensive by American cost for

Hospitals

[little mary sunshine]

Bumrungrad. Isn't that the commercial hospital factory which likes foreign patients with lots of money?

[little mary sunshine]

Idiot,response,to an excellent,Health Care Facility

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Well, when the news came out the other day re the first confirmed Thai MERS case being a Middle Eastern guy who came to Bangkok for treatment, you kind of had to figure it was going to be at Baummers, and now that's turned out to be confirmed.

Likely to not be very good for their business, at least in the short term.

Add: there's a companion thread running here on the nationwide MERS alert in Thailand. In that thread, it adds the following info not reported here:

Rajata also said the condition of the first MERS patient, a 75-year-old man from Oman, had improved slightly but he was still in a special unit at Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute in Nonthaburi. Three of his close relatives have been isolated in the same unit as well; two of them have flu symptoms.

Also, the other thread notes that the stock price of Bumrungrad fell quite sharply on the news, as did by lesser amounts the stock of Thai Air and one of the big Thai hotel chains.

Edited June 20, 2015 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[ABCer]

Excellent Hospital, excellent facilities, good doctors, costly, but you do get best quality care for your money.

It is regrettable it has got the first case of MERS in Thailand.

But what do you expect? We are a part of a bigger World.

[maidee]

medcial tourism soon to be death ?

would hospitals stop overpricing then ? or increase even more as they lost so much money and they want to make it up ...

[Jimlove]

Are they serious? If they had no clue how had MERS then how can they be so certain no other patients were treated by one of these 58 at risk personnel?

They are just doing what everybody here is doing - Pretending and lying in hope of not losing face, which is all that really matters ...

No doubt MERS are gonna spread more before they get their act together ...

[fareastguy]

So this gentleman flew-in from the middle east with nearest & dearest at his side as a walk-in patient ???

Sorry I don't buy that !!

[NickJ]

I had someone close to me in the ICU there...it was open 24 hours...kids everwhere, playing on the floor. some patients had more than ten visitors at a time, many with food and drink....BUT....The worst was the ol Thai- maid with her ever present Clean Everything Rag....Used on Everything In Every Room on All Surfaces!!!

[Time Traveller]

Excellent Hospital, excellent facilities, good doctors, costly, but you do get best quality care for your money.

It is regrettable it has got the first case of MERS in Thailand.

But what do you expect? We are a part of a bigger World.

I think they are good compared to what else is in thailand. But really not that good compared to western doctors.

Bumrungrad is a business so the consequences is that their in house Doctors are more salesman than genuine health professional. My experience is that they will always push you towards getting treatment or have an operation that may really not be necessary.

[fareastguy]

Excellent Hospital, excellent facilities, good doctors, costly, but you do get best quality care for your money.

It is regrettable it has got the first case of MERS in Thailand.

But what do you expect? We are a part of a bigger World.

I agree with your statement that it's an excellent hospital with the best doctors, facilities etc

It's probably a good thing rather than regrettable that the first case of MERS was detected there as they were quick to isolate him from other staff/patients, keep him under observation until tests were returned... obviously putting there contingency plans into operation without hesitation !!

Other hospitals throughout the nation will yet have time to prove if they are just as professional !

[HooHaa]

Are they serious? If they had no clue how had MERS then how can they be so certain no other patients were treated by one of these 58 at risk personnel?

yes given their proactive response, they are very serious.

staff have been quarantined before they can become infectious.

how would you have done it?

[HooHaa]

Are they serious? If they had no clue how had MERS then how can they be so certain no other patients were treated by one of these 58 at risk personnel?

They are just doing what everybody here is doing - Pretending and lying in hope of not losing face, which is all that really matters ...

No doubt MERS are gonna spread more before they get their act together ...

ignorance and fear mongering abounds. quarantine before incubation is the logical response, and BH were very proactive it seems.

the only other option would have been to quarantine the entire facility, unnecessary, and given the incubation period vs infectious period, completely pointless.

what is of greater concern is the contact the patient had prior to presenting at hospital, but closing soi 3 is hardly realistic.

Edited June 20, 2015 by HooHaa

[twix38]

"Bumrungrad is a private hospital... and a damn good one!"

I beg to differ.

I went there with a throat problem and had an endoscopy. Told all fine and no need for further tests. Given tablets which I found were for anxiety when I got home and googled as doctor was very rushed.

2 months later I am back in UK and see doctor who sent me for Gastroscopy and I have Barratt's which is a pre-cancerous condition of the throat!

Now on PPI tablets daily for life and regular check-ups.

a damn bad hospital in my books, rushed and looking for the next $$ and treating me as if it was in my imagination - in fact that was the definition of the diagnosis I got which meant I felt I had a prolem but it was perceived and not real!!

That one experience unfortunately put me off ever going back and expecting a competent proffesional diagnosis.

Edited June 20, 2015 by twix38

[little mary sunshine]

No hospital, no doctor is perfect ; however Bunrungrad is one of the

Best in the world

[rubl]

No hospital, no doctor is perfect ; however Bunrungrad is one of the

Best in the world

Bumrungrad is indeed a very good hospital for those who can afford it. Bumrungrad is part of the medical services industry. They cater to people who have ailments which can be cured, corrected and with those people having money. As such they have the responsibility for those patients.

It's not similar to government hospitals who for 30 Baht provide (as good as they can) medical services to Thai independent of costs and while being underfunded by the government.

[little mary sunshine]

All health care facilities it's doctors and staff are part of

A medical service industry . Their fees and services are very

Reasonable for the care they provide.

I have to laugh at my friends from the UK when they talk

About,their FREE healthcare. Nothing is free; especially

For,those who can't eve afford to live in their own Country

Due to,the,outrageous taxes for these FREE things.

[rhondda]

So this gentleman flew-in from the middle east with nearest & dearest at his side as a walk-in patient ???

Sorry I don't buy that !!

What don't you get? People walk into Accident and Emergency Rooms and admission departments every hour of every day, that's what hospitals are for to tend to the sick when they arrive.

As far as I can see the Bumrungrad did the right thing, identified the problem, isolated him and informed the authorities who took him and his family to a special isolation hospital.

[Mot Dang]

Bumrungrad is not a factory....I have "first hand knowledge"

Excellent cere, Doctors and Staff. Yes, you get what you

Pay for !! And very inexpensive by American cost for

Hospitals

I agree,they saved my life there 18 months ago, when I was admitted with severe debilitating bronchitis. In the last days I was there I took careful note just how good the doctors and nursing staff were, and as a retired Manufacturing Pharmacist and Quality Assurance auditor I know what to look for. Sure if you wants to cut costs don't go there, it's up to you. I am sure there are many hospitals in the Kingdom that deliver the same expertise and care, but in a life-threatening situation I'm not going to window shop.

[Asiantravel]

"Bumrungrad is a private hospital... and a damn good one!"

I beg to differ.

I went there with a throat problem and had an endoscopy. Told all fine and no need for further tests. Given tablets which I found were for anxiety when I got home and googled as doctor was very rushed.

2 months later I am back in UK and see doctor who sent me for Gastroscopy and I have Barratt's which is a pre-cancerous condition of the throat!

Now on PPI tablets daily for life and regular check-ups.

a damn bad hospital in my books, rushed and looking for the next $$ and treating me as if it was in my imagination - in fact that was the definition of the diagnosis I got which meant I felt I had a prolem but it was perceived and not real!!

That one experience unfortunately put me off ever going back and expecting a competent proffesional diagnosis.

I don't know what their security is like now but years ago a friend who was there lying in a delirious state with his illness had just happened to purchase one of the latest Nokia mobile phones (over 25,000 baht at that time) just before he was admitted had it stolen in the early hours of the morning. He said it was lying next to him on top of the bedside table.

In semi darkness he said he could remember seeing unidentifiable people dressed in white continually coming to his bedside but couldn't say definitely whether it was a doctor or nurse. No one else would have been responsible at that hour of the day other than one of their staff members.

In the end he asked me to go there to assist him with pressing his claim for a replacement. It was only me threatening them that I would go public on the matter that forced them to reluctantly agree to replace the telephone.

Edited June 20, 2015 by Asiantravel