"The pharmacy sells 4 pieces of 5 boxes of medicine, and the hospital sells you 50 dollars."
"When I go to the hospital to see my eyes, the hospital's advice is to keep hanging bottles, which costs 70-80 US dollars a day."
"I had an inflamed throat and it cost me more than $200."
"A pregnancy test costs $80."
Many netizens in Cambodia said that basically seeing a doctor here is far higher than the domestic price. The high price not only dissuaded Chinese, but also many Cambodians. In order to save money and give his mother-in-law better treatment, Cambodian Suka (pseudonym) made a different choice.
Reporter: Pan Meiqi
Editor: Mo Zhixia
I took my mother-in-law to Thailand for treatment many times in a row
The ticket costs $500 for a round trip
As we all know, Cambodia's consumption is no lower than China's, especially in terms of medical treatment, not to mention the level of medical treatment, the high cost of treatment alone is prohibitive for many people. There is no other way to be in a foreign country, and many people choose to see a doctor in Cambodia's national hospital or local hospital after falling ill, and the price is different.
Because of the high price and limited medical level, many Cambodian locals will tend to go to neighboring countries for treatment, especially in the face of major diseases, going to Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries seems to be a good choice. In particular, the "Thai route" has become the preferred choice of more Cambodians.
Last year, Cambodian Suka (not his real name) took his mother-in-law to Thailand to see a doctor. According to him, many of the family and friends he knows have gone to Thailand for medical treatment after serious illnesses.
Suka's mother-in-law is in her 60s this year, belongs to the elderly group, usually suffers from certain underlying diseases, but it is not a big deal. But last year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The sudden encounter made the Suka family a little worried.
(Image from the Internet)
At first, when her mother-in-law was unwell, Suka took her to a local hospital in Cambodia. However, after a test, the true cause was not diagnosed.
Suka wanted to take her mother-in-law to a special obstetrics and gynecology hospital, and after weighing it, she took her mother-in-law to a hospital in Thailand for consultation. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, my mother-in-law underwent surgery in a Thai hospital and stayed in the hospital for a few days. He then returned to Cambodia for recuperation.
The operation cost more than $20,000. Three months after the operation, Suka returned to Thailand for the second time with her mother-in-law for a post-operative follow-up. At the end of last month, a year had passed since his mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Suka took her mother-in-law back to Thailand for the third time.
On April 29, Suka and his mother-in-law departed from Phnom Penh International Airport and arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. Thinking that her mother-in-law was old, Suka upgraded her seat, and both of them sat in the front rows to facilitate entry and exit.
According to him, the cost of a ticket for one person is $110, plus a $15 upgrade fee, and the cost of a round trip for two people is about $500.
(Photo courtesy of interviewee)
"Every time I come to the hospital, I basically spend 100-200 US dollars for treatment." In Suka's opinion, such a fee is relatively normal, not to thousands of dollars, which is already very good.
Because he did not understand Thai, Suka found a Cambodian-Thai translator in the hospital and asked the other party to accompany the doctor, generally paying 500 baht / time (about 15 US dollars), if the other party needs to accompany the whole process, the cost is higher, 800-1000 baht (about 24 US dollars - 30 US dollars).
Suka learned that most of these translators were Cambodian, and because they had lived in Thailand for a long time and were familiar with Thai, they started a business of accompanying Cambodians in hospitals. "Some families go out, the wife asks her husband to come and help, and teenage children can do it, and one person can bring several guests, and he can earn hundreds of dollars a day."
Speaking of this, Suka is still a little envious. But he sighed more, "Don't get sick, otherwise the money you earn will be spent quickly." ”
Spend $3,000 to see a doctor
But Cambodians prefer Thai hospitals
The review cost a total of $3,000 to Suka. In fact, he said, it costs no less money in Thailand than it does to see a doctor in Cambodia. Because going to Thailand not only needs to pay medical expenses, medicine, but also round-trip airfare, accommodation and meals, plus the cost of temporary translators, it is about the same.
"It costs more money to take X-rays and prescribe medicines, and everything else is fine."
But going to Thailand to see a doctor also has great advantages, first of all, time, from going to see a doctor to returning, it does not take a lot of time, "If you are in Cambodia, it takes a long time to wait for the test results." Suka said.
(Photo courtesy of interviewee)
Secondly, there is the level of medical treatment, there are many diseases that cannot be detected or treated here, and the probability of finding them in Thailand is higher. Out of trust in Thailand's medical level and out of concern for the safety of his mother-in-law's life, Suka is more inclined to go abroad anyway.
Suka said that if it is a minor illness, they will not go to the hospital, preferring to buy their own medicine. You can use the medicine list that others have used to see a doctor, or you can use the drug list you used to see a doctor before, and buy medicine according to the list.
If the child is sick, he will choose to go to the Cambodian government-run hospital, "The government hospital is very professional in treating the child's illness." ”
As for Chinese hospitals and hospitals in other countries, Suka said that he did not know much and did not dare to visit these hospitals. If you really need to see a doctor in Cambodia, you will also give preference to local hospitals.
Of course, local hospitals are also divided into private clinics and public hospitals, and he prefers to go to private clinics, "Private clinics are basically targeted treatment, there are clinics specializing in the heart, clinics specializing in the eyes, which are more professional." ”
In fact, more than a decade ago, Suka preferred to go to Vietnam to see a doctor, because Vietnamese hospitals are cheap and close. But in recent years, Suka feels that the medical level in Vietnam is "not much different" from Cambodia, and Vietnamese hospitals "prescribe a lot of drugs", and the treatment effect is not so good, so he and his family gradually choose to go to Thailand.
(Photo courtesy of interviewee)
This time at the Thai airport, Suka also met a Cambodian who came to Thailand to see him. The other party told him that he had previously felt uncomfortable because of holding urine, and after seeing a doctor in Cambodia, the doctor said that there was a problem with the bladder and needed surgery. But doctors in Thailand told him, "It's just a little inflamed, drink some medicine and you'll be fine." ”
A Cambodian doctor Suka once knew also said that he also went to Thailand to see a doctor when he was sick. Especially to the hospital on the border of Thailand, the distance is close and cheap, and the equipment is more advanced.
There are many other routes from Cambodia to Thailand, and in addition to flying, you can also choose to take a bus. In order to save accommodation costs, some people will take a bus in the evening, after a 12-13 hour drive, arrive at the hospital in the morning, and then return the same day after seeing the doctor. This saves money on airfares and accommodation costs.
"Going to a Thai hospital is at least cheaper than some hospitals and curable." Suka said.
【Further reading】
Chinese prisoners beaten? The General Directorate of Prisons of Cambodia issued a clarification
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