MY experience at the General Hospital

General Udon Thani topics only!
User avatar
vincemunday
udonmap.com
Posts: 3709
Joined: December 11, 2014, 11:36 pm
Location: Udon Thani ex North Stifford and Ramsgate
Contact:

MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by vincemunday » August 23, 2018, 7:38 am

I've not been feeling so great lately and needed to go to the hospital, in the past I've automatically gone to Aek or Bangkok hospitals to get seen to, they're nice and clean, extremely comfortable and almost hotel like. This time however my wife insisted I try the GH, she pointed out that if I am really ill it's quite likely the private hospitals send me there anyway. Reluctantly I agreed, we drove to there, went to reception, my wife completed a registration form and we were directed to the department we needed. When we got the I was directed to get my blood pressure checked, it was a little high and the receptionist told me I was fat and needed to lose weight, yep and that I should exercise more, yep to that too. She asked me about my symptoms, all pertinent questions and she pretty much hit the nail on the head about what is wrong before I got to see the doctor. next I went in to see the doctor, so far it had only taken 15 minutes from arrival to sitting on front of him, he looked at my notes, checked my breathing, asked more questions and told me off for being fat, yep, I had the advantage of going through these symptoms with my mum back in the UK and to my relief this doctor pretty much gave the same diagnosis, the same treatment and the same instructions to go back for x rays if there was no improvement, he wrote a prescription and of course we then waited an hour for that to be dispensed. All of this treatment came to 150 baht, I was prepared to pay more, much more but there was no extra charge! So from start to finish I spent just 90 minutes to be seen and treated, that's great service. Now I'm sure it's not always like that, I've waited longer with my mother in law, I don't know if the diagnosis is the final one but I know they are following the same procedure they would have in the UK, it was extremely cheap and they've almost apologised that if I do need x rays they'll charge more. All in all I'm very happy with how I was treated and all the fears I had about using the GH are dispelled, I'll use them again if I need to, it may not be the cleanest, fanciest hospital but I came away confident.


The forest was shrinking daily but the trees kept voting for the axe as its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them.

User avatar
GT93
udonmap.com
Posts: 7848
Joined: June 5, 2009, 9:37 am
Location: Auckland

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by GT93 » August 23, 2018, 7:45 am

I take it you mean the one next to Nong Prajak? I have family members who have used it a lot. It's slower than what you describe but I think it would deal with many things quite well. It's usually like a busy bus station when I've been there.
Lock 'em up - Eastman, Giuliani, Senator Graham, Meadows and Trump

User avatar
vincemunday
udonmap.com
Posts: 3709
Joined: December 11, 2014, 11:36 pm
Location: Udon Thani ex North Stifford and Ramsgate
Contact:

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by vincemunday » August 23, 2018, 8:00 am

Yes that's the one I mean, i know I was lucky with the timing but I was happy with the treatment too, I came away confident, I'd use it again but they should definitely charge us more than they do.
The forest was shrinking daily but the trees kept voting for the axe as its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them.

User avatar
AlexO
udonmap.com
Posts: 2505
Joined: June 8, 2015, 11:45 am
Location: Nong Lat Udon

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by AlexO » August 23, 2018, 8:45 am

vincemunday wrote:
August 23, 2018, 8:00 am
Yes that's the one I mean, i know I was lucky with the timing but I was happy with the treatment too, I came away confident, I'd use it again but they should definitely charge us more than they do.
Had same experience at Nong Han Hospital. Needing driving licence renewal medical letter, no doctors in any of the local clinics so at the long haired RSM's suggestion went into Nong Han hospital. Blood pressure tests had the nurses talking away, told to sit down in comfortable seat and relax for 15 minutes. BP tests again. Waited to see doctor, diagnosed with very high BP. (190/120) Prescribed a months course of meds and told to come back in 4 weeks for blood tests. Total cost including driving licence letter, 160 baht. Back 4 weeks later with BP coming down to nearly acceptable levels. Blood tests show no diabetes, kidney function ok,liver function ok (very pleasantly surprised at that one) basically everything within normal ranges for age group except cholesterol levels which were very high. Was given 2 months worth of BP and cholesterol meds and told to come back in 8 weeks. Total cost 1000 baht (850 for the blood tests) So if you do not mind hanging about for up to 4 hours in not too comfortable conditions then the local hospitals may be an option for those of us who do not have outpatient insurance. I would say the doctors are to the same standard as your General Practitioner back home (UK)

User avatar
Lone Star
udonmap.com
Posts: 5698
Joined: June 26, 2014, 11:52 pm

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Lone Star » August 23, 2018, 8:49 am

Always great to hear about good experiences on here.

Thanks for sharing! :D
AMERICA: One of the Greatest Stories Ever Told.

the-monk
udonmap.com
Posts: 1033
Joined: August 20, 2012, 4:56 am

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by the-monk » August 23, 2018, 9:26 am

I agree 100 %, their emergency service is excellent.. My friend uses the Military Hospital on Taharn Rd, every 4 months for a follow-up check-up, doctors and nurses function like real pro. The Military Hospital is nicer and cleaner than the GH, but nonetheless very busy since they seem to give all patients the same appointment time. For non-appointment services, like blood test, people arrive at 6 AM , 7 AM even though they open at 8 AM. One suggestion is to show up at 9:30 and the place will be deserted ... Great to know that GH medical standards keep improving.

User avatar
AlexO
udonmap.com
Posts: 2505
Joined: June 8, 2015, 11:45 am
Location: Nong Lat Udon

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by AlexO » August 23, 2018, 10:17 am

Forgot to say that at the end of the second visit was told to "go get book" Thanks to the missus interpreting was taken to another dept which is basically what us Brits would call a Well Man/ Well Woman Clinic where I was given a book on healthy living, diet, exercise etc. All in Thai but pictures make things pretty clear. Also includes pages to record BP and blood test results. Was given lifestyle advice (diet, good food/bad foods, booze intake, water intake etc) by a nurse who spoke adequate English. Good to see they are adopting a bit of preventative treatments as well nowadays.

User avatar
Brian Davis
udonmap.com
Posts: 2422
Joined: January 26, 2008, 8:14 pm
Location: Phen (Udon Thani Province)

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Brian Davis » August 23, 2018, 11:25 am

I've had cause to visit a few government hospitals, not thankfully for anything major. The main factors for me are the numbers of people waiting to be seen (unless you're lucky, mornings being particularly chaotic), communication and the fact the visit takes very much longer than going privately. The doctors, of course, usually speak English, but perhaps not to the same standard as privately. Costs are very reasonable, but I've only ever been an out-patient. One is not going to get the same 'care and attention' as privately (look at AEK, with seemingly loads of nurses to show you from one room to another) , but then you certainly pay for that! I've no choice if something serious - I couldn't afford to go private. I'll offer that a contact of mine was recently in intensive care in a well known Bangkok private hospital. It was a serious situation. So was the bill - he advised 300,000 baht per day. :shock: Whilst the doctors' fees seem reasonable, it's my view that the cost of drugs, medicines is highly marked up privately. In Udon, the Military Hospital has a good reputation - and that's coming from Thais in the know.

choi choi
udonmap.com
Posts: 758
Joined: March 5, 2018, 10:35 pm
Contact:

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by choi choi » August 23, 2018, 11:47 am

300,000 baht per day.? Thats about 7,000 pound !..... A day? You sure?
Geez ! Maybe 30,000? :yikes:

macca46
udonmap.com
Posts: 981
Joined: May 26, 2014, 8:55 am
Location: Udon Thani
Contact:

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by macca46 » August 23, 2018, 12:05 pm

About five months ago I referred there by the Military Hospital to see a specialist arrived there early afternoon saw the specialist then had a chest x-ray, EKG and out in a bit over two hours had to go back three days later for an Endoscopy not pleasant no local anesthetic just a bit of throat spray and wide awake she had twelve patient do that morning so spent five hours there on that visit, plus the usual one hour to get tablets.

Much prefer to visit the Military Hospital

User avatar
tamada
udonmap.com
Posts: 17221
Joined: February 21, 2007, 4:03 am
Location: Down two...then left

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by tamada » August 23, 2018, 12:17 pm

Good update, thanks. My first choice would be the Fort Prajaksinlapakhom Army Hospital. This based on the awesome and inexpensive care and service Mrs tam received last summer while ushering tam Jr. into this world. Although she was only in for the standard 4 days and 3 nights, I felt healthier just hanging out there and watching the to and fro. It does seem that it is also blighted by the early morning rush-hour so it's good that for a non-emergency check-up like vince, quieter late morning or afternoon visits are better accommodated.

As we get older, fatter and more sedentary, I think investing in a sphygmomanometer and tracking your own blood pressures on a daily/weekly basis is a good idea. To me it's analogous to checking on that possible sticking thermostat in an old motor. It's one of the vital signs that if you are feeling a bit blehh can indicate that there may be some underlying cause. If tracked, it can pin point habits, activities or diets that are contributing to these unfamiliar blehh's. I invested in my first one after high BP was flagged for the first time while getting an offshore medical maybe 10 years ago. I ended up leaving the BP meter with my aging folks who used it regularly to check on things before calling the doctor. I bought a wrist-cuff type for work and travel.

As it worked out, that was the start of my previously unknown 'white coat syndrome' but that was only confirmed when I was able to sit down and check my own blood pressure on a regular basis and after varying activities at work and play. After the morning pot of coffee (normal), after a BBQ pig out (slightly elevated), during a cigar and Blantons on the porch (comfortably elevated), after climbing some hills in the jungle (more elevated), after a mattress thrash with Mts tam (even more elevated), sitting on the floor playing with the youngest (getting up there), going to the dentist (off the chart).

Try and exercise as much as you can. My (blood) pressure relief is my push bike that I can pedal around our wee neighborhood lake. I bought a carrier so I can hang it off the tailgate and when we make a day trip to (say) Nong Khai, I can jump on the bike and get lost while the tribe stuff their faces in the resto and trawl for trifles at the market.

User avatar
Brian Davis
udonmap.com
Posts: 2422
Joined: January 26, 2008, 8:14 pm
Location: Phen (Udon Thani Province)

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Brian Davis » August 23, 2018, 12:22 pm

choi choi wrote:
August 23, 2018, 11:47 am
300,000 baht per day.? Thats about 7,000 pound !..... A day? You sure?
Geez ! Maybe 30,000? :yikes:
Yes, I nearly fell over too. Well, that's what he said. And, rapidly exhausting the money he had, he had to return to the UK to get back on the National Health, or whatever it's called these days.

User avatar
pf-flyer
udonmap.com
Posts: 590
Joined: April 4, 2007, 11:25 pm
Location: 26 Kilometers East of Udorn

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by pf-flyer » August 23, 2018, 12:39 pm

About 2 years ago I injured my lower back. Later that evening I was in a lot of pain so my wife and I went to the Hospital in Nong Han. We went into the emergency room and the nurses had me lay down on one of the gurneys while my wife was registering me. The doctor spoke pretty good English and he looked at my back and asked me a couple of questions and then they sent me off to have several X-Rays taken. They wheeled me back to the emergency room and the doctor looked at the X-Rays and he showed me that I had herniated my lower lumbar disc. He gave me a shot to help elevate the pain and my wife picked up prescription medicine for pain and swelling. I was impressed with the nurses and doctor at the Nong Han Hospital they took very good care of me. The doctor told me that it would take a long time for my injury to heal. He was right. It took several weeks of sleeping in the couch with ice packs on my back and pain medicine for the herniated disk to heal. The total bill for everything at the hospital which included the prescription medicine to take home was 300 Baht.
"Life is like a tube of toothpaste. Outward pressure brings out the inward contents."

User avatar
GT93
udonmap.com
Posts: 7848
Joined: June 5, 2009, 9:37 am
Location: Auckland

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by GT93 » August 23, 2018, 1:36 pm

I have a family member in the General Hospital at the moment in a female ward. The main complaint is it's very hot.

Visiting family members have helped a nearby patient take a shower. The Thais are good like that.

I understand for 500 baht a day you can get into a small ward with air-conditioning. I have paid for that for family members before and it looks like I am about to do that again.
Lock 'em up - Eastman, Giuliani, Senator Graham, Meadows and Trump

User avatar
747man
udonmap.com
Posts: 15135
Joined: March 25, 2007, 2:22 pm

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by 747man » August 23, 2018, 3:08 pm

Vince Said...... and the receptionist told me I was fat and needed to lose weight...

It's Yer own fault for taking ALL The Pate......

User avatar
stattointhailand
udonmap.com
Posts: 19114
Joined: October 25, 2007, 11:34 pm
Location: Oiling the locks on my gun case

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by stattointhailand » August 23, 2018, 3:31 pm

In the end of the day you invariably get to see the same specialist as they go from one hospital to another.
A lot of the "comfort" at BKK/AEK etc is for the benefit of visitors not patients TV with basic cable channels, sofa to sleep on instead of floor, fridge for snacks, private balcony etc etc. As for the patient lying in a bed, usually fairly well pumped with drugs and sleeping a fair bit, the colour of the walls is probably the biggest difference for most of their stay.
When I broke my wrist a few years ago mrs statts insisted I go to Paolo (BKK) to get treatment. I was told that as it was about 10pm I should return at 11am next day and they would get it set and plastered for me (I think they quoted about B20,000). Next morning Mrs Statts was talking to old lady neighbour (70+) who was singing the praises of a clinic who had done an op on her hip and said I should contact them. I went there at 9am spoke to a doctor/bone specialist (Gen Hosp employee) who examined the wrist. He phoned Paolo hospital cancelled my appointment and made a new one for 3pm. At 3 pm I went to Paolo the bone specialist turned up at about 3:10 and proceeded to set my wrist using Paolo hospital equipment and nurses ....... cost B4000 including all medication and follow up visits to have plaster removed and "soft" plaster as a replacement.

User avatar
Galee
udonmap.com
Posts: 3418
Joined: July 12, 2005, 5:16 pm
Location: Was Eastbourne, East Sussex. Now Udon.

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Galee » August 23, 2018, 5:02 pm

Not tried the General Hospital yet but have been happy with the service I have received at the private hospitals.

Was once rushed unconscious to The Army Hospital. The nearest one. Wife not impressed and had me transferred to AEK asap.

Once had to wait 2 days to have my shattered nose put back into place. That was the NHS though, so to be expected. :D

User avatar
vincemunday
udonmap.com
Posts: 3709
Joined: December 11, 2014, 11:36 pm
Location: Udon Thani ex North Stifford and Ramsgate
Contact:

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by vincemunday » August 23, 2018, 5:10 pm

Told you before 747, don't start pretending you know what pate is, you toffees need to stick to the kebabs and wife beater lager, Jesus next you'll be telling me you don't wear shell suits!
The forest was shrinking daily but the trees kept voting for the axe as its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them.

User avatar
Brian Davis
udonmap.com
Posts: 2422
Joined: January 26, 2008, 8:14 pm
Location: Phen (Udon Thani Province)

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Brian Davis » August 23, 2018, 6:01 pm

pf-flyer wrote:
August 23, 2018, 12:39 pm
About 2 years ago I injured my lower back.......... The total bill for everything at the hospital which included the prescription medicine to take home was 300 Baht.
Just as a comparison. I'll spare the details, but problem with back following a fall. Similar treatment, but at Bangkok Hospital, X-rays, an injection and ice bag application, consultant's attention, some pills to take away. My bill, 6,000 baht, actually met with some small accident insurance linked to my ATM card.

User avatar
747man
udonmap.com
Posts: 15135
Joined: March 25, 2007, 2:22 pm

Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by 747man » August 23, 2018, 6:08 pm

vincemunday wrote:
August 23, 2018, 5:10 pm
Told you before 747, don't start pretending you know what pate is, you toffees need to stick to the kebabs and wife beater lager, Jesus next you'll be telling me you don't wear shell suits!
Come On Vince, You only lived on Jellied Eels as an East End Boy,Just admit it !!

Post Reply

Return to “General Udon Thani Forum”