Health Care
Rising medical costs in the West have forced patients to seek out
alternative medical treatment and with over 400 hospitals throughout the
nation Thailand is becoming a medical tourist destination as well a safe
haven for long-time residents and retirees.
The government over the last 40 years has actively encouraged the
training of doctors and nurses to insure Thais have a health care system
second to none in the region. A majority of doctors are educated in
specialist courses overseas to provide the hospitals with top-notch
treatment in modern hospitals, which have been upgrade with huge
investments over the last decades.
Hospitals or 'long-piya-ban' offer a walk in service to see a general
practitioner during the daytime hours and also have a 24-hour emergency
room service.
Doctors
Most doctors are specialists and rarely GPs. Your best bet in addressing
your problem to ask an internist for an evaluation and then go see a
specialist if necessary. MDs work at different hospitals and times as
well as their private clinic, which means that if you are hospitalized,
your doctor might not appear at your bedside too often. Your basic
contact will be with nurses with whom communication can be difficult as
their English skills are limited.
That said nurses in Thailand are very attentive to patient's needs as
long as you treat them with respect and patiently explain your needs.
Unlike the west patients are meant to obey the MDs' commands without
question. Should you doubt your doctor, this could strain your
rehabilitation as he has lost face by your questioning his prognosis,
yet as with the west MDs are not always right, so if you think something
is wrong, ask for a second opinion, but do so ever so politely.
In addition to multi bed wards, patients have a choice of rooms.
(one-bed/two/bed etc.)
Costs
Costs for hospitalization are a fraction of US prices. My daughter was
in ICU two weeks with 24-hour care and the bill came to 90,000 baht. In
the USA I would have been lucky to have paid that in dollars.
Hospital rooms are from 1500-6000/day.
Procedures are almost all cheaper than the west and prices are fixed
ahead of time.
You will be presented a bill at the end of your stay. Demanding a daily
count will help keep control of small incidentals or mistakes
Outpatient treatment at the larger hospitals is efficient and priced to
be competitive with other hospitals.
- Standard chest X-ray about 250 baht
- Electrocardiogram 500 baht
- MRI (including radiologist fee) about 10,000 baht
- Blood examination 3000-4000 baht.
Birth in Thailand
(Foreigner)
Before coming to Thailand a pregnant woman must contact Thailand
Immigration and Registration (SIR) office for permission to deliver in
Thailand through a local sponsor before her arrival. The local sponsor,
a Thailand citizen or Permanent resident, is required to produce copies
of Form 14, Form V39 and Form IMME 555.
These can be downloaded at
www.sir.gov.sg
Also required;
- marriage certificate
- Local sponsor's identity card or valid re-entry permit
- MD letter stating the expected day of delivery and assurances that
there will be no complications during birth.
- Letter from your embassy granting the child your nationality as
well as a promise to issue a valid travel document for the new born.
- Your passport.
To register the child's birth you will have to appear 14-42 days
after birth at a Birth Registration Centre. The hospital will help you
organize this in most cases.
Ambulances
If you have an emergency then best to jump in a taxi or drive yourself
to the nearest hospital; rather than wait for assistance. Ambulances
tend to be volunteer pick-ups with little or no medical experience other
than first-hand. If you have a medical condition, it would be advisable
to choose a place a residence not too far from a hospital.
Holiday Medical
Emergencies
Most doctors speak good English and any major city will have a private
hospital at which service is more suited to western needs.
Health Insurance:
There is a wide variety of health plans offered by hospitals and
insurance groups, unless you are over 65 years old. As you get older the
cost of insurance increases, so keep up-to-date with your policy to
insure maximum coverage. Another option is overseas traveler insurance
or GAP insurance which is available in most western countries.
The major test is what percentage is covered by the policy as well as
when bills will be paid. Promises are easy when not tested and it is
always best to go with more established health plans than try and save a
few thousand bath of someone less reputable.
Health Insurance overseas is acceptable at Thai Hospitals but it's handy
to have cash/credit cards for emergencies at the hospital. Horror
stories of people being denied service are true and not rare. Health
insurance is available for foreigners and is very affordable in
comparison to Europe and the USA. (20000 baht/year)
Clinics
If your ailment doesn't require a hospital than a visit to a clinic.
Doctors served from 8am-8pm. Any range of services can be available at
these clinics. Ask which one is the best before going. Locals are
helpful with their advice. They are considerably cheaper than a private
hospital with fees for seeing a doctor ranging from 100-1000 and very
affordable prescription medicines.
Pharmacies
Drugstores are plentiful and many are open 24/7. Most medicine is
legitimate and the druggists trained to answer most questions to save
you a trip to the hospital for a common cold. Names of drugs differed
from the west, but the pharmacist should be able to prescribe you an
equivalent. All pharmacies close on the 25th of each month.
Vaccinations for entering Thailand
None are required at present, although it is recommended to have your
polio and tetanus vaccines.
Common Medical Problems
Most problems will be minor, but bacteria and viruses are different from
your home country, so if a problem persists seek treatment at a nearby
clinic. Most medications will resolve the issue.
The change of climate can be very demanding. Your first days in-country
take it easy as your body adjust to the temperature. Drink plenty of
liquids and refrain from exposure to the sun, as its strength is much
stronger than northern climes. Wear a hat and stay out of the sun during
the midday hours. Use the strongest unblock possible. If you are after a
tan, don't worry, the sun will get to you.
Wear loose fitting and cotton clothing to give your skin plenty of
ventilation, as then humidity provides fungus with ideal growing
conditions, which will result in rashes or itching. After a shower use
powder to reduce dampness and a fan is better to cool the body than AC
and will ease the period of acclimatization.
Water
Many communities have treatment plants, but local viruses can survive
this process. Better to drink bottled water rather than risk a stomach
infection. Ice is usually made from either boiled or bottled water.
Malaria
Malaria is rare in many tourist destination, however Koh Chang, Koh
Samet, and more distant destinations are zones of infestation, so you
can avoid risk with several precautions
- Spray your room 30 minutes before sleeping
- Use masking tape to cover gaps between the screen windows.
- Fans will keep mozzies from lighting on your body.
- Insect repellant is useful
- Wear long sleeves and pants. The less exposure the less risk.
Malarial drugs are usually ineffective and only suggested if you are
spending long periods in infested areas, as they have serious side
effects.
HIV - AIDS
Thailand has a high rate of AIDS due to failed DEA policies of drug
eradication in the North.
If you have need of a syringe in a small hospital or clinic make sure
that the needle has been sterilized. This is SOP, but being careful
doesn't hurt.
Thanks to a condom awareness campaign by Meechai, a Thai government
minister, HIV infection rates have fallen dramatically, however it is
highly advisable to use condoms when having sex.
If you find this useful let us know and we will expand this section
contact us
|
