The other side of medical tourism

The topic of medical tourism has gained quite a bit of coverage during the past year or so, as the media has become aware of the increasing numbers of Americans who are opting to go overseas for medical care and surgery because they can’t afford the same procedures in the U.S.

Now comes a glimpse of the other side of the story, as NPR recently reported about a doctor shortage in Thailand that is at least partly the result of medical professionals being lured away by the larger incomes they can receive for treating medical tourists.

Millions of people come to Bangkok for medical care. They get everything from face-lifts to heart-bypass operations. These medical tourists have helped boost the Thai economy, but there’s a downside. Doctors in Thailand have become so busy with foreigners that Thai patients are having trouble getting care.

When medical tourists come to Bangkok, they usually go to places like Bumrungrad Hospital. It’s a private facility, downtown, near the fancy hotels. It has a sushi bar, interpreters who speak Arabic and Mandarin, and VIP suites with marble bathrooms.

Most Thais can’t afford it. They’re more likely go across town to Siriraj Hospital, along the banks of the Chao Phraya River…

The outpatient waiting room looks a bit like Grand Central Station. On a very hot day. With no air conditioning. Hundreds of patients are squeezed onto old wooden benches. Many more are slumped in wheelchairs or lying on gurneys. A recorded message asks for patience.

It’s a constant reminder that Siriraj doesn’t have nearly enough doctors. And neither do other hospitals that accept people covered by Thailand’s basic health plan.

The problem is money. Doctors don’t get paid much for working at public hospitals, so many won’t. The ones who do tend to moonlight at private facilities.

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