Good/Bad Hospitals Korat ???

[mitchell]

I have read many post on hospitals here, however, I am seeking more recent experiences and opinions concerning the hospitals in and around Korat. Sorry, my english/spelling is not the greatest so please bear with me.

I have been a patient in Korat Memorial for a week.  Excellent private room, service and care. Not too expensive.  I had ate some bad food and after a week or more with severe diarreia I was in bad shape and had my wife take me to the hospital.  That is all I can report about this hospital.  2007.

My second trip was November 08, possible heart attack, Bangkok Hospital.  Excellent and very expensive.

I have also been treated on an out-patient basis at St. Mary's.  Excellent also.

The problem I have now is that I am getting the impression that many if not all hospitals and doctor's in the area are more interested in money then helping you.

Some examples:  sorry if this get's long - I know no other way.

My doctor at BKK Hosp pushed and pushed like a salesman for me to take an angiogram.  I refused many times.  Then when  I lost much weight due to the diet he put me on, he had me take a PHA test for possible prostrate cancer.  The only reason he had me take the test is because of the weight  loss which in this case was explaineable.  So now he pushes for a biopsy every time I go in for an appointment and never again mentions the angiogram.  I guess if he cant sell one bundle of goods he will go for another.

A friend of mine recently had eye-surgery at St. Marys and either lost sight in that eye or almost.  He went on to Bangkok to another hospital and is now doing better.

Another friend of mine, a retired doctor, was told that he must have surgery now or die.  This was at BKK Hosp.  He went back home to USA and had many test at different places.  All negative, no need for any surgery because he had no problem.  He returned here and showed the evidence to his original doctor who studied the evidence and came back with his tail tucked under his butt so to speak.  He is fast comming to the conclusion as I am that money is their main interest here in Korat.
 
Another friend, a prominent Thai, very up to do and respectable person.  His father died on the operating room table at BKK while undergoing surgery.  Maybe this influences his opinion and maybe not.  I tend to think not.  He stated to my wife and I that all Thai doctors are killers and all farang are victims due to our insurance and supposed wealth.  Since he has a good friend that is a doctor, friend of his family, and the fact that his daughter is a pharmaciest, I ask him if he could recommend a good honest, careing doctor in the area that would not take advantage and he answered. NO - Not anymore.

So, lets all talk and discuss this.  I believe that this is a very serious thing and all of us need to know the best, worst, hospitals and doctors in the area and what to look for and what to avoid.

[RayzHell]

Mitch,

You're right in that this has been discussed here before and the bad thing is, the hospital situation in Korat has probably become even worse if that's possible.  To put it bluntly, the doctors and facilities are shite, plain and simple

If you need a couple of stitches and/or a bandage, you can do it here.  If it's anything even remotely serious go directly to Samitivej Hospital in Bangkok.  Trust me . . . I've been there and done that. 

Let me put it this way, if I'm ever in a life threatening situation again, I'd prefer to die on the way to Bangkok rather than at the hands of these half-assed quacks in Korat. 

[Jeff1]

If it has been discussed here before, then I missed it. I think it is a great topic and one that I am very interested in.
I will be needing a hernia repair soon and the options are getting slim. One person says go to this hospital and two say that one is no good. Oddly here in the states, I get the same response's about the hospitals here.
However if your "stuck" in Thailand, I would worry...a lot.
In my research, I have found Samitivej to be more expensive than Bumrumgrad in BKK. Both are at least 5 times more than St. Mary's. On the other end, and so far no complaints, is the Army hospital but no frills. Like no modern procedures, air conditioning, private room, etc.
Listening to the expats face to face, nobody has a good thing to say about their experience with hospitals in Korat, well almost nobody.
To sum it up, if a Korat doctor is greedy for money but can do the job (and not kill or mame you) it is still a lot cheaper than Bangkok.