When the taxi pulled up to the main entrance, the bellman stepped forward and opened the door, giving me a slight bow as I exited the cab. As I entered the front doors, two ladies greeted me with a similar bow and welcomed me, as the dulcet tones of a live pianist on a grand piano wafted down the halls. The 30 seconds that I’d been here had eclipsed the welcome at any hotel I’d ever stayed at, but I wasn’t at a hotel. I was at a hospital in Thailand.
Medical tourism is a growing industry, with some estimates placing it as high as $70M USD in 2017. The idea of traveling outside of one’s own region for medical tests and procedures isn’t new; people have been crossing borders for those reasons for centuries.
around 2,000 BC, the Swiss found health benefits in drinking and bathing in iron-rich mineral springs. They used bronze drinking cups at these springs, and the same cups were found as far as France and Germany, which could suggest that people undertook health pilgrimages to the springs. The Ancient Greeks erected the Asclepia Temples in honor of their god of medicine. Followers of the Greek religion traveled from all over the region to these temples, seeking relief for their illnesses. But today, medical tourism doesn’t require days or weeks of walking or praying to pagan deities. A few emails, a flight to a new country, and you’re on your way.
After a recent scare in which a friend was diagnosed with cancer at a relatively young age, despite showing no symptoms, I decided that I needed to get a full checkup to ensure that I didn’t have any major issues lurking in the shadows. Since most doctors in the US won’t request medical tests unless you have some symptoms, I would have to spend a lot to get a full checkup done in the US. I did a little digging and I found the Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, which offered a medical testing package that covered almost everything that I wanted. Since I was planning on being in Thailand anyway, I decided to go ahead and sign up for the tests.
I got to the waiting area a few minutes before my 9:00 AM appointment to fill out the standard paperwork. Promptly at 9:00, my name was called, and I met with a nurse who reviewed with me the list of tests that I was scheduled to receive. At 9:03 AM, I was walked to the bloodwork station, where I had my blood drawn. Somehow, they did it more efficiently than my doctor’s office at home, with 4 vials of blood drawn and a cotton ball taped to the site of the draw within two minutes. A nurse walked me to the next waiting area, where I sat for a minute or two before being called in for an ultrasound of my upper and lower abdomen. The purpose of the ultrasound was to detect any unusual masses or growths that could indicate cancerous tissue. As I lay there with my shirt off, the doctor started putting jelly across my abdomen. I thought to myself that this was the same test that women get during pregnancy. With one hand running the handheld ultrasound device across my stomach and her face pointed at the monitor, the doctor asked if I’d ever had an ovulation. I looked at her with obvious confusion, since I’m a fairly hairy guy with a goatee. I may not be the most masculine man in the world, but I was definitely male (and I was willing to prove it if necessary). I wasn’t sure what she was seeing on the monitor, but I was really hoping that it wasn’t a uterus. I thought that there’s no way that she could think that I was there for a pregnancy test, and I was about to say as much when she repeated herself; “Have you ever had an ovulation?” She mimed scissors with her fingers and said, “Surgery?” Oh! She was asking if I’d ever had an operation. That made a lot more sense. I told her that no, I hadn’t, and we proceeded with the exam.
By 10:10 AM, I had completed several other exams, including having my height, weight, and BMI checked by a machine that did them all automatically (apparently I’ve grown half an inch since I was checked at my doctor’s office last July). At one point, I had metal cuffs clamped to my wrists and ankles to measure my blood flow, and a blood pressure cuff on my bicep, all while machines beeped in the background. The nurse didn’t do much other than put everything on, start the test, and then wait for the machines to tell her that they were complete. It felt a little sci-fi, to be honest, especially since I grew up with a doctor who checked your lungs by tapping on your chest with his fingers, the same way you check a melon to see if it’s ripe.
By 10:20 AM, I had completed my DEXA bone density scan, and within another 20 minutes, I’d finished the two eye exams, including testing the internal eye pressure, vision, checking for color blindness, a cornea photo and retinal exam. By 11:30 AM, I’d completed the stress test, which involved walking and jogging on a treadmill for 10 minutes at gradually increasing speeds and inclines with EKG leads attached to you in order to test your heart up to 90% of your theoretical maximum heart rate. At this point, I was told that I could get something to eat, which was relief, since I’d been fasting since 9:00 PM the previous evening.
Talking to some of the staff, I learned that there were a few options in the hospital. A smoothie bar and an Au Bon Pain near the elevators, a restaurant on the first floor (there were actually two, I later discovered), and the hospital cafeteria. In order to get an ‘authentic’ hospital experience, I went for the cafeteria. I got a chicken and vegetable dish and steamed rice and two steamed buns with pork, and it cost me less than $3. It was the best meal that I’d had in Thailand so far, which is saying a lot. The chicken was spicy enough for me to need to take a breather in between bites, which surprised me, but it was still extremely flavorful. If I didn’t have to go back to see the doctor, I would have considered getting a second plate, even though I was already full. The restaurant next to the cafeteria had a full bakery and offered a wide menu, including a deep fried whole sea bass with Thai vegetables and spices for $16. You could almost forget that you were in a hospital. Surprisingly, the cafeteria didn’t have Jello, and I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with that.
After I finished my meal, I went to meet with the doctor at 12:30 PM. She reviewed all of my tests with me, showing me the digital images of the x-rays and ultrasounds where appropriate, told me what was good and what I needed to work on, and asked if I needed anything else. I asked for a refill of my anti-malarial medication, which she entered into the computer. We chatted for a few minutes, and I went on my way. A quick stop at the cashier’s desk to get the rest of the documentation for my test results, and I paid for my bill. The grand total was roughly $650 USD*, including the medication, which I picked up minutes later at the pharmacy on the ground floor. By 1:00 PM, I was in a cab, heading back to my hotel. A few days later, I received all of my medical test results via email so I had a digital copy in addition to the paper copies that I left the hospital with.
All in all, this was a fantastic and easy experience. Nobody ever looks forward to going to the doctor, let alone going to a hospital. And although I was going for voluntary tests, I was a little apprehensive wen I walked in, but there was no need to be. Nurses walked me from one station to the next, and I never had to wait more than 5 minutes for anything. Everyone I met was professional and friendly, and, accents and minor misunderstandings aside, spoke English well enough to understand. They took their time with every step where necessary, and at no point did I feel like they were just going through the motions. If you find yourself in a country that’s known for excellent medical care, medical tourism may be worth looking into. Sometimes your insurance may cover part of the cost, or you may be able to pay for it with your HSA, further increasing your savings.
For those of you who are wondering about my test results, I’m as healthy as an ox. An ox who may drink a little more than is healthy, and needs to cut back on the fatty foods, but an ox nonetheless. And this ox needs to lose a few pounds, too. But life is good when you’re a fat, drunk ox. At least I’m not pregnant.
* For comparison, if you got the same tests run in Washington DC, it would run you between $2,500 – $3,500, depending on the hospital. That amount would pay for your flight to Thailand, your tests, a few nights in a hotel, and a lot of good food. One hospital offers a 75% discount if you pay in full in advance, though, which makes the price tag a little more tolerable.
