MY experience at the General Hospital

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Faraday
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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Faraday » September 12, 2018, 2:42 pm

About 4 years ago as I was moving the top of the toilet cistern, I dropped it & got a deep puncture wound in my hand.

Went to the GH, & was all done in 2 hours. Had an injection & a course of antibiotics, the cost was less than 1k.

Yup, lots of people there, but was quite happy with experience.



Mikedee43
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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Mikedee43 » September 12, 2018, 5:53 pm

In my opinion the big problem with the private hospitals is that they are profit driven and may take xrays and blood tests to crank up the bill and these may only be given a cursory examination. Earlier in the year I went into AEK for a dressing change on an infected ulcer on the leg. While the nurse was changing the dressing the doctor arrived and suggested I have an xray. This was turned down as an xray was taken 2 weeks before when the ulcer was first treated. When I went to pay the bill the dressing change was 180 baht and the 3 minutes conversation with the doctor was charged at 800 baht. Result, I made other arrangements for the remaining dressing changes and haven't been back since.

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GT93
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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by GT93 » September 13, 2018, 7:42 am

I have just had a n adult Thai family member in the General Hospital for about 14 days. She had bad food poisoning and a leg injury from a fall. At home once the food poisoning came right she realized there was a major problem with the leg.

At the hospital she was admitted immediately after the leg was examined and told she'd be in for 2 weeks as the leg infection was serious and dangerous. If it didn't start improving within 2 days it would be amputated. Fortunately she slowly came right but isn't yet walking unassisted at home. She continues to improve.

She was in a general women's ward. It was hot and boring in there for 2 weeks. I said I'd pay for an air-conditioned ward but the relative liked the doctor and nurse looking after her and decided to remain in the ward she was in as the air-conditioned ward would involve another doctor. I think the treatment was pretty good but I wasn't there and just looking in from a phone everyday. The relative bought the nurse an ice coffee most days and I suspect that helped get some attention. I wasn't asked to cover any hospital fees.
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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by the-monk » September 13, 2018, 10:41 am

True, my "" sister-in-law" used to buy snacks, cookies, juices and leave them at the nursing station every time she would visit her brother, it s part of the Thai customs. One point that is not well known is that almost every evening ( after 6 pm ) merchants, companies, etc come near the ophthalmology building and distribute free food to all.

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Hoopoe
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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Hoopoe » September 13, 2018, 5:58 pm

the-monk wrote:
September 13, 2018, 10:41 am
True, my "" sister-in-law" used to buy snacks, cookies, juices and leave them at the nursing station every time she would visit her brother, it s part of the Thai customs. One point that is not well known is that almost every evening ( after 6 pm ) merchants, companies, etc come near the ophthalmology building and distribute free food to all.
Out of my many stays in various hospitals here ,i can verify some of this , merchants/company's /charities etc do come in and give out ,free water,tooth paste , food etc , (even to a falang ) .but almost every evening ? not sure about that one ,

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Barney
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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Barney » September 13, 2018, 6:32 pm

My only experience at the GH, so far , touch wood is like some others we have on occasions set up a stall out the back of the above ground carpark. There's a small shaded section with a tent roof.
It is a task the GF did for our daughters b'days to teach her to be caring and generous to others in need. Few times we have bought the metal barrels of ice cream and a couple hundred cones and distribute to the many people sitting around bored waiting for relatives etc. Most come from distant villages. Some hospital staff come for a icecream and the naturally security guards get an ice cream. 1 time the GF and her friends cooked up heaps of thai food and dished it up to a very appreciative crowd.

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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by the-monk » September 13, 2018, 7:35 pm

Well about a year ago << brother -in-law >> had eye surgery and for about 10-12 evenings i went to visit and yes on most evenings i witnessed a food give-away right in the courtyard facing the main man ward ( second floor ). I thought what a FANTASTIC gesture toward humankind. I would gladly admit that most likely they were different donors every evening.
I saw people coming with very young children and let me tell you that food put a SMILE on those young faces. What a nice gesture.....

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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Faraday » September 13, 2018, 8:34 pm

A lovely gesture, Barney.

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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by dragonz » September 14, 2018, 7:31 am

Brian Davis wrote:
September 12, 2018, 9:53 am
Agree Vince and I don't believe anyone so far has been having a go at the Thai, just being honest about how it is here and their experiences, good and bad..
It is a major concern and worrying from dragonz about his son, that several visits to Udon hospitals including supposed quality, private ones, failed to give the correct diagnosis. Isn't a collapsed lung on an x ray something that should be easily noticed?
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cannot remember if he had xrays at the general but he did at aek and bangkok hospitals .i am useless looking at xrays . When the english doctor at srinakarin showed mt the xray they took he pointed it out to me . His lung was partialy collapsed at that time and the dr said it would get better or worse depending on the fluid and when i showed him the aek/bkk xrays it was then obvious on their xrays . Aek did say he had a chest infection and gave me antibiotics which did nothing but cost 5500 baht , bkk hostpial said he had a sinus infection , charged me 4300 baht and 700 baht for a nasal spray which again did nothing .
Very happy it was sorted out at srinakarin which is a training hospital so students carry out the tests with a doctor overlooking . Blood tests , urine , xrays , blow tests for asthma , allergy tests , kept in overnight . I was very impressed and really nice staff . Total cost 1,800baht.
I now live with the knowledge there is no medical care in udon for my boys so dread them getting sick

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vincemunday
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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by vincemunday » September 14, 2018, 9:08 am

All I will say Dragonz is that the x-ray machine they used on me in the GH is a very new Samsung stand up style machine, about the same as they'd use in the UK BUPA hospitals. It so happens that one of my friends is one of the top chest consultants in Thailand, he operates out of a hospital in Bangkok and when I was ill recently and asked for advice he told me to go to the GH, when I asked him about going to a private hospital he told me not to as he felt the GH was the best option, he's a very clever man and I trust his advice implicitly and I'm very happy with the treatment I had there.
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.

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Brian Davis
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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Brian Davis » September 14, 2018, 10:07 am

I'm certain that Dragonz is very happy that his son was finally correctly diagnosed. There is an argument here that he might complain about incompetence at the Udon hospitals, but perhaps he prefers the quieter life! :-k But seriously, I've said this not so much to cause problems, but in the hope that, if it's pointed out to the Udon staff that they missed something, perhaps they'll learn and get it right next time. We all make mistakes. There seems an opportunity here to learn from it. If the hospital staff is worth the salt, they should appreciate adding to their knowledge.

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parrot
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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by parrot » September 14, 2018, 1:50 pm

Brian Davis wrote:
September 14, 2018, 10:07 am
I'm certain that Dragonz is very happy that his son was finally correctly diagnosed. There is an argument here that he might complain about incompetence at the Udon hospitals, but perhaps he prefers the quieter life! :-k But seriously, I've said this not so much to cause problems, but in the hope that, if it's pointed out to the Udon staff that they missed something, perhaps they'll learn and get it right next time. We all make mistakes. There seems an opportunity here to learn from it. If the hospital staff is worth the salt, they should appreciate adding to their knowledge.
At least worthy of bringing it up with the international staff at either hospital.

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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by MusicalBars » September 14, 2018, 6:58 pm

I have been to the general hospital many times now and as is mentioned if you know what your problem is and you get to the specialist then you will be treated fine apart from the wards being a disgrace. Today I went for a blood test and medicine which due to Thai procedure you have to see the surgeon for took a total of 11 hours something that would take less then 30 mins in UK and any GP could write the perscription the time wasted for the surgeon to have to see every patient is unbelievable I have had 7 hour waits regularly bit today was another level TBH the Doctor who is very good couldnt apologise enough

dragonz
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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by dragonz » September 14, 2018, 7:02 pm

vincemunday wrote:
September 14, 2018, 9:08 am
All I will say Dragonz is that the x-ray machine they used on me in the GH is a very new Samsung stand up style machine, about the same as they'd use in the UK BUPA hospitals. It so happens that one of my friends is one of the top chest consultants in Thailand, he operates out of a hospital in Bangkok and when I was ill recently and asked for advice he told me to go to the GH, when I asked him about going to a private hospital he told me not to as he felt the GH was the best option, he's a very clever man and I trust his advice implicitly and I'm very happy with the treatment I had there.
You are probably right but if but this was a few years ago and i can nearly guarantee if you go to that hospital with a cough , bad chest breathing difficulties or any flu / malaria symptoms etc you will not get on that machine as most of the thais that go there are going for those reasons . My boy was a bit different as it had been going on for a long time but still got the flu inspection and medicine .
I am not a doctor but when and how do you decide if a patient has something a bit worse than flu ?Not easy to spot unless you are very good at what you are doing and have the time to do so which they do not . Anyway he is good now for a few years thanks to the staff and doctors of srinakarin

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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Faraday » September 14, 2018, 8:35 pm

But, in the UK you make an appointment with your GP - & that is most likely not the same day, then you have to wait for the blood test report to be sent back to the surgery.
After a wait of about 10 days for the report to be sent back, you then have to make another appointment with the gp.

The whole process takes about 2 weeks at least, & unless you live in Wales, you have to pay a fee for the Rx.

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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by MusicalBars » September 14, 2018, 9:55 pm

yes for most things your probably correct but for this procedure n the UK u actually go get your blood taken at the hospital then get your results by email the next day and your doctor signs a perscription u just collect u would only see the main surgeon maybe once a year freeing up there time for critical patients instead of having 90 odd people see the surgeon on same day when most could have been perscribed what they needed by a junior doctor after seeing results in mid range

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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by dragonz » September 16, 2018, 4:20 pm

I come from tenby where we have a health centre with 5 doctors . 1 matron and 2 nurses and next door has casualty unit. My blood is taken in the centre and wait 3 days for results.Population about 150,000 plus holidaymakers in the summer .
When i make an appointment i ring up get one for the next day with the correct doctor for the complaint i have. I go to the centre . have a touch screen . click male , dob ,then my name comes up sit down wait for name to come on digital display , not been there for 15 years so this started about 25 yrs ago.
Appointments and not understood by thais . I got to the dentist in general . first time no appointment wait about 6 hours. I then get appointment for a specific dentist next visit 9am on a monday. Ok i turn up at 8.55 am but find the all the dentists appointments are for 9am so my paperwork is at the bottom as everyone else has been there for hours and i get in at 11.30 am.
when i told the dentist be good if they gave everyone an appointment at 15 minute intervals she looked at me like i was stupid and could not comprehend what i was saying . Next appointment 1 oct mon 9am

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Brian Davis
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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Brian Davis » September 18, 2018, 4:34 am

Brian Davis wrote:
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.
I've been waiting for contact from my friend, now back in UK, to check this out again.
YES! For EACH of the four days he was in intensive care at Bumrangrad Hospital, Bangkok, he was charged 300,000 baht! He had two stays following quickly on to each other, although different problems, but for a total of 28 days there, it cost him 3.5 million baht. No wonder he's back in UK on NHS. He reckons they saved his life so ...........

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Hoopoe
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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by Hoopoe » September 18, 2018, 5:52 am

dragonz wrote:
September 16, 2018, 4:20 pm

when i told the dentist be good if they gave everyone an appointment at 15 minute intervals she looked at me like i was stupid and could not comprehend what i was saying . Next appointment 1 oct mon 9am
Similar sort of discussion with doctors at Queen Khon Kaen , people waiting for hours just to get a prescription ,taking up the Doctor's time etc , "Got a result" ,now if i only want to get medication ,i just tell the nurse on the admittance desk , as soon as the doctor arrives he signs the prescription's first n off ya pop , also good to know they usually only give out 3 months medication ,( so if you have to travel long distances to get there it becomes a ball ache ) but mention it to the doc and hey presto 6 months ya get ,

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Re: MY experience at the General Hospital

Post by dragonz » September 18, 2018, 4:57 pm

The basic fact is the doctors and nurses are probably pretty good but do not get the chance with the absolutely trash system the use . Need to get some foreign administrators in to revamp the system and make it an appointment based (except for those suddenly ill )system as in the rest of the world but again it is because they do not care about the people.
There is an apartment about 100 metres from the hospital which i have stayed in 3 times for a month at a time.I used to look out the balcony 3am etc at the people sleeping overnight in their pick ups and on the benches and even the floor to be first in the queue . Disgusting making people do this because no appointments and that is also why it is hard to park there as every patient and their extended family is there early morning . Sorry about the thai bashing but this is something i find absolutely disgusting and entirely needless and so easy to remedy

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