Visas to India have been closed for the past 4 months. Although there is talk of issuing medical visas, the reality is that visa applications cannot be made without follow-up of previous patients. In this situation, many are thinking about treatment in the Southeast Asian country of Thailand. However, is the cost of treatment in Thailand affordable? I will discuss that in detail in this article.
Recently, Imrul, a resident of Dhaka, underwent treatment in Thailand. He told Barta24.com that treatment in Thailand is not only expensive, but also much better in terms of quality. In fact, it cannot be compared to Bangladesh or India. There is no such thing as low cost here.
Giving examples of some costs, he said that a biopsy in Bangladesh costs Tk. 36,000 to Tk. 40,000. Here, it is Tk. 270,000. In Bangladesh, CT scan, MRI of the whole abdomen costs Tk. 35,000 to Tk. 40,000. Here, it is about Tk. 150,000.
In all hospitals in Bangkok, blood pressure, weight, and height measurements cost Tk. Tk. 800 to Tk. 1500 each time before seeing a doctor.
Due to the advanced medical system and hospitality, patients from different parts of the world come to Bangkok for treatment. The largest number of patients comes here from Arab countries in the Middle East. Then there are patients from Cambodia, Vietnam, China, India, and Bangladesh. There are also a significant number of Western patients.
Among the hospitals in Bangkok, the most popular names in Bangladesh are Bamrungrad and Bangkok Hospital. Bamrungrad Hospital has been widely known in Dhaka and Chattogram since the early nineties. The cost of this five-star hospital is also skyrocketing. Here, just testing blood hemoglobin and serum creatinine costs Tk. 35,000 to Tk. 50,000. However, there are Bangladeshi interpreters and the best quality service.
Recently, a cancer patient from Bangladesh was brought to Bamrungrad Hospital by air ambulance. The patient's relatives told Barta24.com that on the first day of admission, they had to deposit Tk. 1 crore for the vaccine. The patient is in the final stage. After that, they were asked to pay another Tk. 1 crore after 3 days.
The largest group of hospitals in Thailand is called BDMS. Its main hospital is Bangkok Hospital. There are also Prink Hospital Group, Thepterin Group, etc.
Although the cost of these hospitals is not like Bumrungrad or Medpark Hospital, it is not comparable to India or Bangladesh. For example, you have to spend at least Tk. 30 thousand for a health check-up in any hospital here.
A misconception in Bangladesh is that St. Louis Hospital in Bangkok is a charity hospital! Basically, there is no charity hospital here. St. Louis is a full-fledged private hospital and the cost is close to hospitals like Paulo Hospital, Vimut, and Pyathai. Rather, since there is no international service there, the facility of interpreters is not available and appointments cannot be made in advance.
Government hospitals in Thailand are of very high quality. Is it possible to get treatment there?
It is also possible to get treatment in government hospitals here. However, in that case, you have to have enough time on your hands. Even if it is just to see a doctor, you have to have at least 10 to 15 days on your hands because if you want to see a patient in the outpatient department here, you have to go directly and take an appointment first which is available after 7 to 15 days. Because no one is given immediate treatment here except in the emergency department. And the cost of treatment like surgery is higher than in private hospitals in Bangladesh. And there is the cost of staying for a long time.
