When it comes to providing medical services, Phuket is a city that stands out from the rest. Since many people come here for the beaches and warm weather, the healthcare industry has grown to meet the needs of tourists and locals alike. There are plenty of hospitals in Phuket that offer quality care at affordable prices. But which hospital is right for you? Before making any decision about where you’ll go if something happens while visiting Phuket, read this article to get some tips on picking a hospital in Phuket and Thailand.
Do your research before you go.
Before you make any decisions about where to go, do some research. Check out the hospital’s website and see what it says about its services and facilities. Look at online reviews from other patients who have been treated at the facility, as well as information from organizations like Trip Advisor or Expedia. Find accredited hospitals and look for those with a good reputation in Phuket. Remember: no matter how well-researched your decision has been, nothing can replace actually being there so don’t hesitate to ask questions of your doctor before anything happens!
Pick a hospital that’s accredited.
Accreditation is important for several reasons. First, it’s a sign that the hospital has met specific standards for quality in patient care and safety. This means you’ll know you’re in good hands when you visit one of these hospitals. Second, accreditation is also a sign of professionalism; accredited hospitals are required to keep their practices up-to-date according to industry best practices and current research. Finally, if you’re looking for a safe place to have your baby or have surgery done on yourself or someone else in your family, an accredited hospital will be able to provide you with peace of mind because they’ve completed extensive reviews by an independent organization that confirms they meet all requirements set forth by national regulations as well as international standards like those established by International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Check the hospital’s online reviews.
Check the hospital’s online reviews. There are several ways to go about this. First, you can check out reviews from patients and family members on sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Maps, and Facebook. Second, you can look at reviews from medical tourism companies that send people to Phuket for surgery (we’ll list some of these below). Thirdly, there are plenty of blogs and forums dedicated to medical tourism in which people talk about their experiences with different hospitals in Phuket. Finally, if you’re on Facebook there are a few Facebook groups where people have shared their thoughts on different hospitals in Phuket (we’ll list them below as well).
Does the hospital offer medical tourism packages?
Going to a hospital that offers medical tourism packages can be a great way to get yourself the best treatment you can afford. Many of these hospitals offer discounted rates on procedures and treatments if you buy into their package deals, which will also cover some or all of your lodging, meals, transportation, and other services. The more services they include in these packages, the better it is for you financially.
Ask your insurance company if they have any connections or preferred hospitals with good reputations in Phuket and Thailand.
Many people have asked if their insurance company will cover them if they get hurt while traveling abroad. The answer is most likely no unless you have a specific plan that includes international coverage. This is because most sponsors only provide domestic coverage. However, one of our readers pointed out that some companies do offer travel insurance with overseas coverage at a slightly higher premium than their domestic offerings. If this is something that interests you, ask your provider what they offer and compare prices before making any commitments.
If you do not have any international coverage through your health insurance provider or other means, then the next step would be to find out if Phuket Hospital has any preferred partners in Thailand or other countries around Southeast Asia where English speakers are common. If so and there is an emergency medical situation at hand (like being bitten by a snake), then this could save you lots of money as well as emotional trauma!
Find out what languages are spoken at the facility, and whether interpreters are available if necessary.
- Find out what languages are spoken at the facility, and whether interpreters are available if necessary.
This is important for two reasons. Firstly, some facilities may not have staff or translators who speak your native language. In this case, you should find a hospital where people can communicate with you in your own language if needed (or vice versa). Secondly, even if someone speaks your language fluently and is always ready to translate for you during consultations or procedures, knowing another language can greatly help alleviate any anxiety or stress caused by unfamiliar surroundings. If possible, find a hospital with staff members who speak English as well as Thai; although many Thais are well-versed in English these days, having an interpreter on hand will give you more confidence in the healthcare professionals treating you since they won’t have to guess what medical terms mean!
It’s also worth asking whether there are any other services available at these hospitals—such as interpreters—to ensure that all parties involved understand what’s going on throughout treatment options/planning stages of the hospitalization process as well as afterward when leaving Thailand altogether.”
Make sure the hospital you choose offers a higher standard of care than other hospitals in Phuket and Thailand, not just lower rates than hospitals in the US or Canada, or wherever you’re from.
When it comes to choosing a hospital in Phuket, look for one that offers the highest standard of care. How can you tell if a hospital is offering higher than average levels of medical services and expertise? A good way to get an idea is by asking around about how many surgeries they perform each year. An average number of surgeries per year for a hospital should be around 50,000—but some top-tier hospitals will perform as many as 300,000 or more annually!
On the other hand, don’t choose a hospital just because it has lower prices than others nearby. You may be tempted by these cheaper options since they often advertise themselves as “affordable,” but understand that this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re any better than other hospitals in town. To ensure your health isn’t compromised by lower standards of care offered at these cheaper facilities (and protect yourself from unnecessary expenses), spend some time researching each potential healthcare provider before making any decisions about where you’d like to go next time you visit Thailand—or another foreign country where English speakers aren’t common enough to make communication easy (like Japan).
Meet with your doctor at home first to discuss your options, then schedule a consultation with a doctor in Phuket who can talk to you about what it would look like to receive care there, and why they think they’re a good fit for you.
- Meet with your doctor at home first to discuss your options, then schedule a consultation with a doctor in Phuket who can talk to you about what it would look like to receive care there, and why they think they’re a good fit for you.
If you have time before heading out on vacation or a business trip, meet with your own doctors and specialists at home (preferably for free) so that when you’re in Thailand, there won’t be any surprises when it comes time for treatment. Everyone must be on the same page about what’s happening—and what’s going to happen next—so don’t leave anything up in the air. When it comes time to make decisions about medical care while abroad, this could mean the difference between getting better or worse!
Bring along an advocate from home who can help ask questions that you can’t think of or don’t know how to ask, and who will be there to support you during a stressful time away from home and family.
It’s important to remember that you’re not alone, even though it may feel like it. Having someone by your side who knows you and can ask questions that you wouldn’t think of or know how to ask is invaluable in this situation. They can serve as a representative for the family back home, and they’ll be there at all times while you are unconscious or busy with something else.
I had my family come along because I really wanted them there. It was important for me to have their support! For example, if I had any questions about what was going on with my surgery or treatment plan (which I did), they were able to relay those questions directly to my doctors and nurses. That way there were no misunderstandings about what needed doing next–and no miscommunication between us either!
This also helps them feel involved in some way; instead of just sitting around watching TV all day long while waiting for me, which would get old fast…they actually got something out of being here!
Conclusion
At the end of the day, you have to make sure that you’re choosing a hospital that feels right for you. Do your research and check out all of their online reviews and ratings so that you know what other people are saying about them before committing to anything! You can also ask around on some ex-pat forums in Thailand or Phuket to see if anyone has any recommendations from first-hand experience; sometimes those are worth more than anything else!
