The Thai Hospital Experience

As we were preparing for our trip,  I had the thought that if I were ever to have a major health problem
that I would try to get to Thailand for care.  Several health insurers now send patients to Bangkok
for surgery.  It saves the insurers a great deal of money and the care is on a par with our system.
Many uninsured individuals opt for Thailand as a more affordable alternative, as well.
Since we were getting our dental work done there, I thought I might take the time to get a thorough physical.  I researched my options and made an appointment online
at Bumrumgrad Hospital, a world class facility within walking distance of our guesthouse.

As fate would have it, in the weeks before our departure, I had an eye problem that required a trip
to the ER, an opthalmologist and a GP.   I experienced our US system up close for the first time
in many years.  To say I was dismayed would be kind.
Our system, still hailed as the best in the world, was expensive, inefficient and nerve-wracking.
Specialists had little time for questions or explanations. Information was hard to get and was,
at various times, contradictory, incomplete and confusing.
There were instances of delayed treatment, botched elements and cover-ups.
Doctors failed to return calls, do follow-up, or answer basic questions.
They vacillated between treating an emergency as if there were no concerns and treating
the slightest problem as life-threatening.
It was hard to believe that our system was really that bad.
I felt so sorry for patients who are at the mercy of our health care conglomerate.
The assembly line quality of 'care' where a doctor sees patients for 2 minutes while sprinting between multiple patients at one time was appalling.  They were clearly scattered in their thinking.
I had to remind them several times what I was there for.
Their staff was also deeply stressed from the chaos of cramming too many people into a workday.
There was no time to hear a patient, think creatively and treat well.
I could not imagine treating a patient like that, especially one in crisis.

I was reminded of my youthful decision to turn away from medical studies for just those reasons.
Churning patients for maximum profit left me very disillusioned, disheartened and suspicious
of our system of modern medicine...and that was 40 years ago.
Yet, today physicians and staff still claim to be the best in the state, the country and even the world,
depending on who you asked.
I felt as though I was being swindled, herded and treated as an ignorant person.
It was so upsetting, expensive and neglectful that I quickly booked additional appointments
with specialists at the hospital in Bangkok upon our arrival in hopes that I would find a saner
and more affordable alternative.
In exasperation and running out of time, I told the various US doctors that I would take copies
of my records and their orders for bloodwork, further testing and evaluation to a quality facility
in Thailand.  Two of them sternly advised me NOT to seek treatment in such a 3rd world country
and advised me to cancel my trip altogether.  By now, there was so much pressure and
fear-mongering that I began to doubt my own sense of my health (which is normally quite good).
to be continued...