What to do if you get really sick in LOS

[rxpharm]

I have to preface this with the following - this will only be useful if you have travel medical insurance, which you really should buy before you make any overseas trip.

During my latest LOS visit, I developed bronchitis (inflammation of my bronchial tubes in the lung). Possibly may have been due to an infection. This triggered an asthma attack, which was pretty serious. Normally I get mild asthma when in contact with dog/cats.

Sometimes knowledge makes us stubborn. I thought I could take some antibiotics and get better. I had one of my lb friends pick up some Zithromax which I thought would help. After one dose, 6 hours later things didn't get better, I was wheezing, coughing, gasping and my lb gf dragged me to ER at Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, 3 am on Jan 2. Good thing she did too or things could have been quite worse.

From the ER they treated me to get me over the worst of the attack and had me up to a room by 4 am - pretty amazing when it takes several hours in Canada (but of course hard to compare private vs: gov't hospitals).

Bumrungrad is one of the top hospitals in Thailand and certainly equal to some of the best Canadian hospitals. If you have a health problem and good insurance coverage that is the place to go in Bangkok. They have excellent, knowledgeable doctors and very good nursing staff.

So the advice is: be sure to know the details of the medical insurance policy you have. Put the emergency contact number into your SIM so you can give them a call if you need to. My policy required pre-authorization for an admission within 48 hours. I did that by Skype (free wifi in patient room for 5 days once admitted) - so that took care of all the billing when I was discharged two days later. Tough way to spend the New Year, but a reminder to me to trust those around me, who told me to go to the hospital.

Total cost of 2 day stay in Bumrungrad to treat an acute asthma attack - $2090 USD, all inclusive (discharge medications too).

[beijo]

RX- good post. I agree with your advise about travel medical insurance. My US insurance covers emergency treatment while traveling but I still get additional travel insurance from Travelex Insurance Services. If one excludes Trip Cancellation coverage a policy for 3 week travel that covers some travel related items like trip interruption but mostly medical expenses (accident/sickness $50,000 and repatriation $500,000)comes to a premium of $58. Thats pretty cheap for peace of mind.

[pdogg]

Excellent post RX, and yes we should make contingency palns before we get sick.

Bumrungrad is generally acknowledged as the best hospital in Thailand.

In Pattaya, Bangkok-Pattaya on Sukhumvit is considered best and Pattaya International and Pattaya Memorial runers up.

In Rayong, Bangkok-Rayong is considered best.

[SiamSam]

I have been considerably ill in Thailand on two occasions. Both were in Pattaya. At the time of my first occurrence the hotel I was staying at recommended the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital even though there was another hospital across the street, Bangkok Memorial. I took their advice and hopped a taxi to the BPH.

Upon arrival at the hospital I was registered immediately and then escorted to the second floor where there was a specialist waiting JUST for me. She spent 5 minutes listening to my story, examining my vitals, and then writing out prescriptions for what ailed me. She then called for an attendant to escort me to the pharmacy for my meds and to pay the bill.

I was in and out of the hospital in 20 minutes and their prognosis of the problem and their meds for treatment were dead on. I was treated like royalty from the moment I got out of the cab at the hospital's entrance until I left. I paid my bill with Visa and then collected the entire sum from my travel insurance company.

On the second occasion the experience was similar. The only difference is I took a motorbike back and forth to the hospital in lieu of a taxi.

These private Thai hospitals and their staff are incredible and astoundingly efficient. I was completely and totally blown away. I have never been so well taken of, NEVER. I forget the cost of the overall medical service and meds but both I and my insurance representative were very happy and thought it was a tremendous deal all things considered.

I also had a friend who contacted pneumonia in Thailand and spent 2 weeks in the same hospital in Pattaya. His case was very serious but he was attended to and came out as fit as a fiddle. The costs were covered by his travel insurance plan.

So, YES do not travel ANYWHERE without proper health and medical insurance coverage. Saving $100 could either bankrupt you or kill you. OR both. Really stupid to travel without coverage.

[bumblebee]

Very good post RX, and a timely reminder of the financial hazards that could befall us if not having insurance. I get the impression that although most of us have insurance when in Los, a few guys leave the policy back in the room. Not much help if you are in a coma after being hit by a car or motorbike, you may as well not have any.

I always carry a copy of my policy in a plastic folder in my pocket, with the emergency phone number highlighted. Eyemahk tells the scary story of a wealthy guy he knew, who got into a serious accident and was rushed to one of the private hospitals in Pattaya. They searched his pockets for insurance or a credit card to cover the costs, but could not find any.

He was thus transferred to the local public hospital, but passed away on the journey. Food for thought indeed.

[beijo]

Something else to consider is the cost of Medical Evacuation. During my various expat assignments I did witness 2 cases requiering such a thing, both times it was heart attack related (listen up viagra users). First, it resulted in a longer in-country hospital stay until air transport was possible and after that it was by medivac air not comercial airline. The in-country hospital costs where only a small fraction of the medivac costs. So, if your regular home country insurance covers medical costs while traveling it most probably does not cover medical repatriation.