You Do Need Some Background Medical Knowledge in LOS When You Access the Health Care System

[Pinetree]

After  living here for a few years, and occasionally having to access health care in Thai international hospitals,  It struck me that you need a reasonable level of background medical, heath care and pharmaceutical knowledge, if you want to avoid getting Royally ripped off. Examples.  know the difference between an X Ray, MRI scan and CT scan, they often try to sell you all three when only one is the appropriate one for your suspected  condition. Always check contra indication and side effects for the medication they give you , or try to give you, they are not good at telling you . Google is good for that info. If they come at you with a syringe, know exactly what's in it.  Don't jump into surgery of any kind without doing some background research yourself and its always wise to get a second opinion here, and even a third. Make sure that any price given to you for a procedure includes all testing, all required medications  and comprehensive after care. If its surgery, make sure anesthetist costs are included in the price. Don't allow yourself to be passed around various specialist consultants that you haven't asked for, unless the medical need is clear to you, its another trick they can get up to. Final bit of advice, if you are walking wounded, take your time, maybe leave and come back another day.  Don't rush into anything.  Money is the prime mover in private medicine here, and although much of the care is good quality, it can get very costly. 

[Marc26]

Good info

 

I found it can hospital specific too

 

I find all the "Bangkok" hospitals to be very money hungry, pushing things on you

 

But I found the "International" hospitals(Phuket, Pattaya) were good and didn't do that

[Marc26]

4 hours ago, Pinetree said:

 If they come at you with a syringe, know exactly what's in it.  

My wife talks about "take a shot" when she's really sick

But only clinics will give it to you, not hospitals

 

I was very sick in Samui and we went to a clinic and I "took a shot"

I was better that night!

 

I went back the next day to ask what it was(now forget)

[Grumpish]

I have never stayed in Thailand for more than two or three months at the time, and have managed to avoid hospitals there, but have had to make a few visits to some of the clinics (usually ear infections from scuba diving), and find that they always try to load you up with unnecessary or inappropriate medications.

[Pinetree]

12 hours ago, Marc26 said:

My wife talks about "take a shot" when she's really sick

But only clinics will give it to you, not hospitals

I was very sick in Samui and we went to a clinic and I "took a shot"

I was better that night!

I went back the next day to ask what it was(now forget)

They do that at many clinics, where the staff are often poorly trained and not highly qualified.   It was no doubt  a shot of wide spectrum anti biotics, which do nothing for other than bacterial infections and, over time, produce a resistance to anti biotics in your body, so when you really need them, they will not work.  Your wife and your reaction was probably nothing more than a placebo effect, or just a natural recovery from whatever was ailing you, These shots is dangerous to your long term health.  Rather proves my points.