I have a few questions about the medical system in Thailand... I recently discovered that I have a fractured bone spur in my neck which (likely) was and still is causing some serious health problems, but I had to fight with my doctors at Bangkok Hospital to get the scans I wanted which led to that discovery. An orthopedic surgeon at Bangkok Hospital told me he didn't agree with my rationale for wanting to do additional scans (an MRI using a different technique & a CT scan). Eventually, I ended up going to Bumrungrad Hospital to get a prescription from a spine surgeon for the CT scan which detected the bone spur. My question is, why can't the patient get whatever scans they want at a hospital or imaging center? Why is a doctor's prescription required? Is it like this in other countries too?
My other question is, why did multiple Thai doctors propose dangerous, invasive treatments and surgeries when asking how to diagnose the problem? They straight up said we could do the procedure, and if it works then we would know so and so was the problem... I couldn't believe what I was hearing đł It made me wonder how many unnecessary surgeries are performed in Thailand. Has anyone else ever experienced something similar?
TLDR : Answer Summary
The post discusses challenges faced in the Thai medical system regarding the requirement of a doctor's prescription for medical scans, such as CT and MRI. The user shares their experience of difficulty in obtaining scans at Bangkok Hospital, which led to receiving proper treatment only after consulting another hospital. Several comments offer insights into the randomness of doctors' willingness to provide certain treatments, the necessity of referrals for specific procedures in various countries, and concerns about the prevalence of unnecessary surgeries in Thailand and elsewhere. The conversation highlights the importance of patient advocacy and seeking second opinions in medical care.
