Is this hospital actually a four letter word?

[FolkGuitar]

Try Lanna Hospital. First class service all round.

CM Ram provides First Class service too. All you need to do is play by their rules. If you arrive when they ask you to be there, there is very little waiting involved.

Edited December 20, 2015 by FolkGuitar

[pgrahmm]

Four letter words....

LATE! → WAIT - LIST → TICK-TOCK → HOUR →→→→→→ NAME - CALL? → GONE! →→→→→→→→

CRAP.....!!!!

Edited December 20, 2015 by pgrahmm

[DogNo1]

I think that the problem is the culture-fixed notion of what an appointment is. I learned long ago that at Bumrungrad there are "appointments" and "fixed appointments." With a general "appointment," you arrive around the specified reporting time and take your place in the queue. If you got there at 1445, then your place would have been later in the queue than the patients who arrived before you. The way to get a place early iin the queue is to arrive slightly before your reporting time. In cardiology, there are "fixed appointments." With a fixed appointment, the doctor will see you within 15 to 30 minutes of the specified time. My cardiologist has sometimes been later in seeing me due to emergencies but usually he's on time. In other departments, it's often the general "appointment" and I sometimes have to wait around an hour to be seen. Be aware that at any time, you can ask the nurse where you are in the queue and what time you can plan on being seen. If you know that your waiting time will be long, you can go and have a cup of coffee or something. It's better than waiting and counting the minutes. Good luck next time.

[DogNo1]

Incidentally, I'm thinking of ordering some glasses from Zenni. Please post how your glasses work out for you. A suggestion regarding your prescription is that you get the person who decides on the numbers to put together a sample pair of glasses from the various lenses that they have and check carefully that you can see comfortably with them. If you need bifocals, they will need to compose two separate pairs: one for your distance prescription and one for your reading prescription. Make sure that you get a PD and a measurement of where the bifocal should start in millimeters from the bottom of the lens. Since I tend to tilt my head back when I am looking straight ahead, I need to have my bifocal start 3 mm lower then usual. If that adjustment is not made, my vision is somewhat blurred when I look straight. Palace Optical here in Bangkok recently made me a cheap pair of progressive lenses that placed the start of the bifocal just right but because the lenses were cheap, the bifocal area is quite narrow. As you widen tthe width of your reading prescription at the lower part of the lens, the price of the lenses goes up and up!

If I order from Zenni, I will call them and discuss the placement and width of my bifocal.

[LivinLOS]

Back in Canada it was the same way. You arrived on time or preferably early and had to wait your turn. Doctors can not practice medicine properly on a time schedule.

Yet its perfectly reasonable to allocate batches.. give people times set 10 minutes apart..

Which is how every other high end private hospital in Thailand I have used does it.

10 minute visits doesn't get it. That is the same time scale my doctor used back in Canada. Never made it work. Always had to wait past my appointment time. The only ones who didn't were the first couple in the morning. There is more to seeing a patient than hello goodbye the doctors should be keeping records. I don't expect any better here in Thailand.

But its still better than 30 people being told to come at the same time no ??

Even just saying book 5 people 9 - 10.. next 5 at 10 - 11 etc.. Sure theres still a wait, but it spread the visitors over a period of time and you still operate a first in first out system on top of that..

[LivinLOS]

Try Lanna Hospital. First class service all round.

CM Ram provides First Class service too. All you need to do is play by their rules. If you arrive when they ask you to be there, there is very little waiting involved.

Thats doesnt match my experience this year which has been >20 outpatient visits (not been a good year !!)..

I have arrived early by 30 mins and waited 2 - 3 hours..

I do realize they have been rebuilding and refurbing the downstairs area.. But I dont see how that has reduced doctors hours..

As mentioned I often notice the doctors dont even show up at the start of the window of appointments.. In fact I now think coming late, at the end of the window, is the best technique.

[LivinLOS]

I think that the problem is the culture-fixed notion of what an appointment is. I learned long ago that at Bumrungrad there are "appointments" and "fixed appointments." With a general "appointment," you arrive around the specified reporting time and take your place in the queue. If you got there at 1445, then your place would have been later in the queue than the patients who arrived before you. The way to get a place early iin the queue is to arrive slightly before your reporting time. In cardiology, there are "fixed appointments." With a fixed appointment, the doctor will see you within 15 to 30 minutes of the specified time.

Exact response..

As far as my outpatient visits (internal medicine, orthapeadic surgery checks, etc etc) all of them have been general times..

I think when they did significant dental surgery for my wife, they were fixed and much faster.

[TheAppletons]

Try Lanna Hospital. First class service all round.

CM Ram provides First Class service too. All you need to do is play by their rules. If you arrive when they ask you to be there, there is very little waiting involved.

Thats doesnt match my experience this year which has been >20 outpatient visits (not been a good year !!)..

I have arrived early by 30 mins and waited 2 - 3 hours..

I do realize they have been rebuilding and refurbing the downstairs area.. But I dont see how that has reduced doctors hours..

As mentioned I often notice the doctors dont even show up at the start of the window of appointments.. In fact I now think coming late, at the end of the window, is the best technique.

My experience was similar to that of bangmai and LivinLOS. Told to be there at 09:30 and got there at 09:20 or so. Doctor didn't even show up until after 10:00 and by that time the waiting area was filled with prospective clients. About an hour later I was finally ushered in to see the doc.

To say there is "very little waiting involved" in not accurate, based upon my experience.

[FolkGuitar]

I guess we all have different experiences there. Although I've only been there a couple of times over the past three years, I don't think I've ever had to wait more than a few minutes for anything OTHER THAN the cashier. I usually bring a book to read, and wouldn't mind the wait, but I've NEVER gotten through more than a paragraph or two, and that was for paying my bill! In fact, my last visit was for an eye exam, and I never even got the chance to get my book out!

Edited December 21, 2015 by FolkGuitar

[Dante99]

Actually it is quite normal to wait in a private hospital setting - regardless of the price. In most cases doctors follow a first come first served system regardless of the specific time on appointment slip - yes a good reception will give you an indication of your queue position and expected wait - and they will provide that if you ask. But to expect immediate service in Thailand is a bit much - clock watching is not the national pastime - even there TV programs do not run to any real schedule.

That is it.

All the OP had to do was ask the reception, the fact that he was given an appointment window makes it clear that a wait would most likely be involved. It is totally unreasonable to expect that a doctor would be waiting just for him during the entire window time.

[evenstevens]

been a RAM worshipper for 13 yrs plus, their docs have always given me the correct consulations to get E/S back to the track for another gallopp

that is far more important then wanting a pampered appointment time etc etc

sure a few times i have had to wait longer then anticapated,but better then seeing a doc on time who buries their mistakes

RAM by a country mile for E/S, queue cards and all

Edited December 21, 2015 by evenstevens

[Mousehound]

Actually, it is not needed to rate the nurses on looks.

[bangmai]

Actually, it is not needed to rate the nurses on looks.

This is TVF; not the Hillside 4 Newsletter....and to clear up a few items. There is no queue card system, or numbers being called. There were very few people in that area, but I should have checked to see if the doctor was even in. Also, most of the eye exam can be performed by a technician, and not the MD, so it seems like they could have at least got the ball rolling. I hope I don't wind up with only 30 degrees of peripheral vision in each eye, but maybe that is simply a(nother) genetic issue that many of the locals have.

Edited December 21, 2015 by bangmai

[NancyL]

Actually, it is not needed to rate the nurses on looks.

With all my involvement at various CM hospitals, I've found the most competent group of nurses, as a whole, to be the ones at Suan Dok. Especially the mature ones who serve as "head nurses" on the wards. They definitely aren't selected for their looks, but rather their abilities -- as nurses, teachers, communicators, administrators and, in general, kind compassionate people.

[bangmai]

Good point, Nancy. Look how goddamn, butt-ugly Hillary Clinton is, yet she is such a wonderful, caring, person. And can run a land development company, a travel agency, invest in cattle futures, and even runs her own email server. Smart woman.

[Konini]

My experience was similar to that of bangmai and LivinLOS. Told to be there at 09:30 and got there at 09:20 or so. Doctor didn't even show up until after 10:00 and by that time the waiting area was filled with prospective clients. About an hour later I was finally ushered in to see the doc.

To say there is "very little waiting involved" in not accurate, based upon my experience.

I've also been annoyed by this at McCormack. Ear test, arrived 5 minutes into the 12 to 2 window and great, only 2 people ahead of me, I'll be out in no time. I was engrossed in a book and didn't realise how long I'd been there, otherwise I would have walked out. The doctor showed up at 1.15 and from his breath it was pretty obvious he'd just finished lunch. Recommendation from me is don't go anywhere which has a window that starts when people have their lunch hour.

In and out quickly once he was in, but if the doctor isn't even going to be there it's not good to tell people to come at that time.

[rodcourt49]

So next time, I should get there at 15:55, and expect to be seen in five minutes?

..with all the '7s' and a '9'..your eyes are perfect mate!

[bangmai]

So next time, I should get there at 15:55, and expect to be seen in five minutes?

..with all the '7s' and a '9'..your eyes are perfect mate!

I did notice that I could read the brand of the clock as I was checking the time.

[Gonzo the Face]

Oke let me think of this

You were given a 14:00-16:00 time slot, but you arrived at the EENT desk at 14:45 and left at 3:45.

So you arrived late and left early. Maybe the Doc was already waiting but you weren't there ?

If it was me, I would have arrived at around 13:55 and if not been seen at 14:45, I would have asked the "Nr 9" Nurse

Far too sensible.

The OP should pack his bags and go home, he clearly can't acclimatise (or tell the time).

Nawww thats not a good answer...... he would still bust our chops with his posts from back home.

The real answer is that they probably knew him from his TV nic

[Dante99]

Oke let me think of this

You were given a 14:00-16:00 time slot, but you arrived at the EENT desk at 14:45 and left at 3:45.

So you arrived late and left early. Maybe the Doc was already waiting but you weren't there ?

If it was me, I would have arrived at around 13:55 and if not been seen at 14:45, I would have asked the "Nr 9" Nurse

Far too sensible.

The OP should pack his bags and go home, he clearly can't acclimatise (or tell the time).

Nawww thats not a good answer...... he would still bust our chops with his posts from back home.

The real answer is that they probably knew him from his TV nic

They new him in a glance just as you would.

[derator01]

No more posts like that, please.