Drunk Tourists = Boom Time for Medical Tourism

I received the following story in my email a few days ago. I loved it and hope you all feel the same. If you’d like to read more by this author you can take a look at his blog “Because There’s Air Conditioning In Internet Cafes” which is a diary of his travels in India and to a lesser degree Thailand.

Spare a thought for the drunk tourists.

I was shocked when my wife was rushed into hospital on Koh Samui recently.
Shocked by the state-of-the-art ambulance. Shocked to find four medics
inside it. Shocked that all this was for Delhi belly.

The hospital was equally luxurious. We’d come from a beach-hut where a rat
lived in the toilet and ate our soap. So clean bedding excited us, AC made
us tremble and the five-course meal – I nearly fainted. At least I was in
the right place. I struggled to fathom this luxury; it’s hard to
concentrate with six nurses arranging your wife. I was forced to stand on
the balcony. I watched the nurses leave. And come back. Leave. And come
back. Like waves crashing onto the shore, leaving behind some medical or
housekeeping jetsam.

The epiphany.
Going for assessment we felt like adventurers in some futuristic
space-station. Dials flashed, machines brooded, staff ignored us with quiet
efficiency. Just how had this amazing place come about? It was no surprise
that Westerners filled each bed: busted heads, broken limbs, twisted
ankles. Sorry sights, self inflicted. That’s when it hit me. A beautiful
thing was happening.

The drunks of the world had made this amazing facility.

Drunk topless yobs crashing motorbikes. Girls in bikinis falling off
tables. Hairy louts with bad tattoos waking in agony, without the faintest
clue where they were the night before. It was these people that had made
this amazing facility. The drinking classes. That much maligned part of
society. Armed only with a complete lack of self awareness, a favourable
exchange rate and a travel insurance policy. They made all of it. It
seemed the ne’er-do-wells had done well.

Trickledown effect.
And all unsung, unlike your sanctimonious colleague getting you to fund
skydives, or celebrities fundraising for starving photo-opportunities.
Drunks: quiet heroes, funding amazing hospitals. Hospitals now the
government is now using to drive growth using health tourism. And the
trickledown effect? For your average backpacker, the trickledown effect
involves bodily fluid and legs. But there’s more than that. In Koh Tao,
every third or fourth shop is a doctor’s surgery. And every surgery’s
window promotes the same best selling services:

Wound dressings
Pregnancy tests
Blood checks.

A succinct summary of the backpacker experience – get drunk, fall over, have
sex, fall over again – but also of just how much medical training and
infrastructure now exists, benefiting average Thais. Drunks have achieved
what the G20 couldn’t, what politicians discuss only because Bob Geldof is
glowering.

Is this the answer to world development? Take a poor country. Export some
drunks. Wait. Wait. Bingo! You’ve got world-class medical facilities,
we’ve exported our idiots, everyone’s a winner!

Maybe not. Getting obnoxiously drunk all the time is not cool. But, next
time you happen to be walking down the road on some Thai island and have to
step over a comatose girl in a bikini, while tonight’s conquest vomits down
his shirt, don’t tut. They’re helping make the world a better place. And
they don’t even know it.

Popularity: 4% [?]

My Surgical Experience in Thailand

The following is a guest post that was sent to me by Aoife Murray of RevaHealth.  I thought it was relevant because I can attest to the fact that health care in Thailand truly is first rate.  In fact, I get most of my dental and eye work done there routinely and have had occasion to use the emergency room at one of Bangkok’s top International hospitals and compared to the U.S. it was a wonderful experience.  And I’m not just saying this because my wife is a Thai nurse!

Going to hospital whilst traveling in one of the lesser developed parts of
the world is something that people normally try to avoid doing. Most people
would wait until they got home to seek delicate elective surgery. I on the
other hand decided to undergo a surgical procedure in Bangkok.

This decision may strike you as foolish at first, but despite being at the
heart of South East Asia in what is generally thought of as a developing
country, the Thai medical system is of a very high standard. Not only is it
the medical hub for patients throughout the region, but hundreds of
thousands of people fly there each year to have elective surgery, from laser
eye treatments to breast implants and facelifts. There are lots of reasons
why they come to Bangkok, but invariably quality of care and value come top
of the list. Simply put, medical care in Thailand is amongst the best in the
world and is available at rock-bottom prices.

The Thai government sees health care as the logical next step for its
hospitality industry. As the number of holiday makers going to Thailand
reaches saturation point, tourism growth has to come from other sectors. The
provision of healthcare to international travelers requires what Thailand
already has in abundance: good flight connections, plentiful accommodation
and, above all, staff who are understanding and friendly. Gleaming
hospitals, which could be mistaken for 5 star hotels, not only have luxury
rooms with all the possible amenities, but also feature suites, restaurants,
shops and cinemas. Menus from the finest restaurants in town are placed in
the best rooms. Going to hospital doesn’t mean you have to stop having fun -
this is Bangkok after all!

I should explain how I ended up in this situation – a cyst appeared on my
left temple three years ago and I had it seen to at home. The plastic
surgeon lanced and squeezed out the contents with all the skill and
precision of a builder popping a boil on his bottom. This had the temporary
effect of reducing its size to that of a small pimple. Unfortunately, while
I was backpacking in Laos, it decided to swell again, this time to the size
of a dime. This seemed like the ideal time to get it sorted out once and for
all. Surgery in Bangkok was the best option; I’d get the best medical
attention for a fraction of the cost, without having to sit on a waiting
list for six months.

I turn up at the Mission Hospital in Bangkok at 10 o’clock on a Friday
morning with no appointment. Two hours later I was exchanging pleasantries
with my surgeon. He quickly inspected the offending lump, letting me know
that a simple operation was all that was needed to completely remove it. He
took his time to ensure I knew exactly what the procedure would entail and
his demeanor was reassuring. We agreed on surgery at 11am the following
Monday. The cost, including consultation, HIV test and all surgery fees,
came to $250, about a third of what it would be at home.

When the time came I was given a pair of blue pyjamas that were obviously
one size fits all, including sumo wrestlers! I made my way to the surgery
room and lay down on the operating table. A nurse shaved any hair beside my
cyst and gave the area a good swabbing with iodine. My doctor walked into
the theatre fully gloved and masked. Just in case I was in any doubt he ran
me through the whole procedure again.

Several painless injections later I couldn’t feel the needle anymore. A
green cloth with a round hole in the centre was placed over my head, leaving
just the cyst exposed. The only clue I had as to what was going on was a
slight application of pressure followed by an occasional tug. The surgeon
constantly enquired as to whether I was feeling any pain or discomfort.
Every time I heard the snip of scissors I was sure he was finished, but then
I would feel a quick tug and know he was still cutting or stitching. How
long does it take to remove a cyst? Thirty minutes apparently. Quick
swooshes, like thread being pulled through leather, told me it was all over
and that stitches were pulling the flaps of skin back together.

Thirty minutes later I was out on the street flagging a taxi. All said and
done I spent 2 hours waiting for a consultation and an hour in surgery. Not
bad for $250!

The article was written by Caelen King, CEO of RevaHealth.com, a search
engine that makes it easy for consumers to find and compare healthcare
clinics anywhere. Caelen founded RevaHealth.com in 2006 when he realised
that those researching healthcare clinics abroad were finding the internet
to be a less than useful tool. Traditional search engines return too many
irrelevant results, meaning that potential patients must spend hours
trawling the internet to find relevant clinics. RevaHealth.com only returns
relevant information, saving people time and money in finding the best
healthcare clinics for their needs. Revahealth.com currently features over
130 dental clinics and over 80 cosmetic surgery clinics in Thailand.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Global Warming Makes Thai Food More Dangerous

Temperatures this year have been the highest for the past 50 years, with the average temperature increasing by one degree Celsius according to the Thai Meteorological Department Published on October 9, 2007

Chongkolnee Yusabye, director of the Meteorological Development Bureau, said that after monitoring the impact of global warming on Thailand for the past five years, the agency predicted that the impact of natural disasters would increase in future.

Chongkolnee was speaking at a seminar called “Life, shock, climate change: how to survive the impact of global warming”, held to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Krungthep Turakij newspaper, which is part of the Nation Multimedia Group

She said the average temperature across the country had increased in both the winter and summer seasons.

The average temperature last November was the highest for 56 years, up by 1.7 degrees Celsius on the average temperature for winter. The average temperature last December increased from 24 degrees Celsius to 25 Celsius.

Between 1951 and 2007 the number of cool days – classified as below 16 degrees Celsius – has decreased particularly in Chiang Rai and Nakhon Sawan provinces. Information from a monitoring station in Chiang Rai province found that the number of cool days had decreased from 90 days in 1951 to 70 days in 2007.

Chongkolnee said that average summer temperatures had risen, especially in Tak province, where the average temperature was 43.7 degrees Celsius in 1983 and 44 Celsius last April. The number of hot days in the province increased from 16 to 25, the highest number for 54 years, over the same period.

The second hottest province was Phetchabun, where the average temperature rose from 41.7 Celsius in 1992 to 42.1 Celsius in 2007, and the number of hot days from 14 to 24.

The rising temperatures across the country have prompted health experts to warn the public against eating under-cooked food, which could cause severe diarrhea.

Dr Thirawat Hemachudha, a neurologist at Chulalongkorn University Hospital, said the Public Health Ministry should issue regulations to prevent restaurants from serving semi-cooked dishes like spicy raw meat salad.

Rising temperatures could affect the life cycle of E coli and V cholerae bacteria, particularly in half-cooked dishes. These parasites can cause severe diarrhea, Thirawat said.

“If the temperature increases by 0.5-1.5 degrees Celsius it can affect the nature of the parasite. It can reproduce more easily and thus come into contact with humans more frequently,” he said.

He said restaurant owners should take responsibility for treatment cost if customers suffered diarrhea after eating under-cooked dishes. But those who eat dishes that are traditionally served raw or semi-cooked had to bear the responsibility themselves.

– The Nation 2007-10-09

OK, I can see where food might spoil more quickly if the heat goes up, but just 1 degree Celsius? You and I both know that there have been people getting sick on raw and undercooked food in Thailand for as long as there have been people in Thailand. Let’s not blame the heat in a tropical country for illnesses that are really being caused by the lack of standard hygiene practices.

Typically it is only newcomers to Thailand that have serious problems with dishware, but locals can have these problems themselves as well. Any local Thai will be able to tell you which street stalls are and are not safe in the areas that they work and live. And the problems are often not from meat or seafood, but more from fruits and produce which have been washed in tap water.

I have eaten raw shrimp and larb many times at my in-laws in Tak and have suffered no ill effects. Typically any problems I have had are from street food in Bangkok and even though I can’t say for sure I believe it has almost always been from som tam (papaya salad) or fresh fruits.

I’m pretty sure many travelers to Thailand have had similar problems. Care to share any of your experiences? Or if you don’t get sick when in Thailand what do you do to avoid the dreaded Montezuma’s revenge?

Popularity: 6% [?]

Health Care in Thailand

Because health is a part of everyone’s life including me so I have to talk about it inevitably. Of course not everyone can get away from being sick, especially when it’s time that your body lose vitality by the time moving forward or be used too much. And of course if it happens no one denies health care service for taking care of your body and rehabilitate to be as well as before.

From the past Thailand was known as the country for tourism only, but at the present so many things have changed. In recent years Thailand has become the one famous country in Asia and every year will have so many tourists fly from their own country to get medical care service in Thailand. From the current reported the amount of foreigners who come to Thailand for medical service up to 1.2 million people per year. And it seems like it will be getting more and more every year. What and why does it happen like that?

Efficiency and quality of Thailand’s medical care profession – This is the most important basic necessity or the key that can give the answer why Thailand became the famous country in medical care service. Now Thai medical profession is regarded as an advance just like in America, Canada or Europe. A lot of medical practitioners graduated or following ship from abroad. And most of them had an experience from foreign country so this can guarantee their proficiency. However I didn’t include the modernized medical instruments, hospital accreditation and all reward that guarantee the quality of that hospital yet.

Cost – This one almost as important as above because as far as the best medical care that you can get, but at the same time you have to pay like twice as much different from the other one that not too bad but for the price much lower…then of course you will pick the latter one…unless you’re a wealthy person. The cost for medical care service in Thailand is much lower than abroad, that’s why the foreigner would like to come to have so many things done here. Come on let’s think about this…you can go and have your boobs done and also have some money left for a nice vacation in Thailand too. How’s that?

I have my own experience…no no no…not with my boobs though. Last time me and Steve went to see the dentist here, we both have an appointment for cleaning only, but after everything done the bill comes up with $492…OMG!!! I was shocked at that time…let’s do this $492 x 34(baht) = 16,728 baht. How many times are you going to get to see the dentist in Thailand (for cleaning only I mean)? Good luck for us that Steve’s insurance covered for, but still we both had to pay $89 for something that his insurance didn’t cover. And I told him that last year I went to see the dentist for cleaning at Yanhee International hospital it costs me like 600 baht…still much cheaper than $89 though.

Expert system in a branch of each disease – Inform of the famous for treat and cure a disease is an importance too. Because not every hospital or every medical care service can have an expert in every disease, so this one the patient or their family will be the judge. And also depending on how many cases of patients that that doctor or hospital have an achievement for cure or treat the disease.

From my own experience in a medical field as a nurse in Thailand what I can tell is this: Bangkok General Hospital, Bumrungrad Hospital and Siriraj Hospital are famous for heart disease, BNH Hospital is famous for Spine surgery and Plastic surgery, Samitivej Hospital is famous for pediatric and women’s health department, Yanhee International Hospital and Phyathai Hospital are famous for beauty center etc. Anyway there’re just some from a hundred or more that I didn’t talk about yet and every hospital try to compete to be a number one in every disease. So it’s really hard to tell sometimes and like I said the answer for choosing which hospital that you’re going to use have to be you and your family will be the judge.

Others – Service excellent, marketing, commentator, type of the hospital like a public hospital or a private hospital, size like a big one or smaller one etc. All kinds and types of things that will have an effect on the decision for the customers. Because it means will be satisfied and worth the money that you have to pay for too.

And one more thing that you need to know when you’re going to use the medical service from that place is are you have an information enough? Because sometimes for something you can’t take it back…just my good intention!

Popularity: 49% [?]