Health / Doctors and Hospitals
There is a distinct
difference in the standard of health care between Bangkok and the provinces. In
many ways, health care in Bangkok matches the standards of health care
in Western cities, at least for those who have enough money. In rural areas,
however, health care has to be considered barely adequate on a Western scale.
Health care in Thailand has both private and public institutions. Private institutions generally
have higher standards, and one can usually say the more expensive the
better.
Luxurious hospitalization is available at some
private hospitals. There, some suite rooms may match luxury hotels in
comfort - wall-to-wall carpeting, refrigerator, a reception area, color TV,
telephone, and of course aircon.
In recent years,
hospitals in Thailand, especially Bangkok, have been providing medical services
to foreign patients on a larger scale. Many Thai hospitals even
advertise their services in the Middle East, and even Europe.
As in Europe and America, most people have health insurance that pays for the treatment of all
illnesses, Thai private hospitals have less of a market for general health
services in these parts of the world.
It is a different
story, however, with medical services that insurances in Europe and America do not easily pay for, such as hair transplants, Lasik, and all kinds of cosmetic
surgery, from facelifts to liposuction.
Many private
hospitals in Bangkok now have very large cosmetic surgery departments,
and a good percentage of the patients in these departments are foreigners, not
just from the Middle East but also from Europe and America. The prices are
less than half, and a cosmetic operation is easily combined with a week of
recuperation at a beach resort. Actually, a good number of travel agencies now
not only offer tourism arrangements, but also specifically "medical
tourism" arrangements.
Apart from private
hospitals that target larger chunks of the market, there also is an increasing
number of Thai plastic surgeons that run their independent clinics and
also address an overseas clientele. The Internet allows them to advertise their
services relatively cheaply, and also to communicate directly with potential
patients.
As there is in Thailand traditionally only a mild taboo against homosexuality and transsexual
orientations, it comes as no surprise that one particular area of plastic
surgery receives special attention: sex changes operations, through
which men are turned into women. While the techniques for these operations were
developed in the US, Thai plastic surgeons have the least qualms going public
with the topic.
While for these
private hospitals and clinics, overseas patients are the most profitable market
segment, the ready availability of cosmetic surgery, especially in Bangkok, also has generated considerable interest among beauty-conscious Thais, Those who
can afford it may have their noses Europeanized.
It is a custom that
when a Thai is hospitalized, family members, friends or a companion stays
with the patient most of the time. Rooms in private hospitals usually
provide sleeping space for at least one companion per patient. There are
usually no set visiting hours and at least in the case of private rooms,
there is 24 hour access.
Common opinion is
that private hospitals generally require a deposit before admission. The
Australian-New Zealand Women’s Group advises: "Be aware that a deposit in
cash of Baht 20,000 and submission of passport may be required before
admission."
But of course, as
provided by law and medical ethics, doctors will attend to any patient in an emergency
situation, without asking for money in advance. And the experience of an
expatriate member of the editorial staff had been quite the opposite of what
the Australian-New Zealand Women’s Group suggests. To be admitted for delivery
at the Sukhumvit Hospital on Sukhumvit Road, neither passport nor
a cash deposit was required. Actually, when a few hours after admission the
staff’s partner approached the cashier with a pocket full of money to make a
deposit before what appeared would be a Caesarian birth, the offer of any
advance payment was expressly turned down and he was told that a bill
would only be made upon checking out - as it later was the case.
Private hospitals in
Thailand generally accept credit cards in payment of bills and credit
card holders will probably never be required to make a deposit.
Most private
hospitals house a number of clinics with medical specialists. On
weekdays, clinic hours are usually in the late afternoons and well into the
evenings while on Saturdays and Sundays clinic hours are often all day.
Doctor’s fees are
not regulated and physicians or hospitals set their own charges. Fees vary
widely. A general practitioner in Bangkok may charge 200 Baht per consultation,
while a specialist may request considerably more. In provincial cities,
doctor’s fees are lower, and in rural areas, they are about a fourth or less of
what is charged in the capital.
Doctor’s fees in
hospitals are often not charged by the doctor but by the hospital that
employs a physician permanently. This is in pleasant contrast to some other
Asian countries (for example the Philippines) where the hospital charges the
patient only for the facilities used while the doctor’s fee is set by the
physician. A common habit in the Philippines is that physicians set their fees
not according to the services they rendered but according to what they believe
a person could afford to lose. It must be noted that there is much less risk of
being treated that way in Thailand than there is in the Philippines.
Emergency rooms
often also function as out-patient clinics, with the advantage of immediate
attention. Clinics in hospitals have more sophisticated diagnostic equipment
and laboratories than doctors' offices.
Unlike in the West
many medications can be bought over the counter. While prescription
regulations exist in Thailand for certain drugs, they are often not observed
and many drugs requiring a prescription in Western countries are sold freely.
There is widespread amphetamine abuse, especially among professional
drivers.
Medical drugs sold
in Thailand are either manufactured by international companies which often have
local subsidies, or by smaller local companies. Drug patents are not
observed very strictly so there are many clones. However, it is generally
assumed that the medical drugs of international companies are of a more
consistent quality. They are also more expensive.
Most Thai doctors,
especially in tourist areas, speak sufficient English to communicate
with foreigners. Patients who do not speak English well may wish to consult
physicians speaking their own languages. Some foreign doctors or doctors
speaking foreign languages other than English who practice in Bangkok are (in
alphabetical order):
Dr. E. Ammundson (Danish)
Bangkok Nursing Home
Tel 233-2610; (home) 258-1981
Dr. Philippe Balankura (French)
PSE Clinic, 1/4 Nares Road
Tel 236-1489; (home) 235-7865
Dr. Peter Comer
British Dispensary, 109 Sukhumvit Rd
Tel 252-8056; (home) 585-2781
Dr. Patrick Dickson
British Dispensary, 109 Sukhumvit Rd
Tel 252-8056; (home) 318-1501
Dr. Elisabeth Granerod (Swedish, German)
Samitivej Hospital, Tel 392-0011 to 9
Dr. Luigi Margherita (Italian)
Bangkok General Hospital, Tel 318-0066
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