Health care
It
is easy to be healthy in Phuket, but of course you have to be well prepared -
see
http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/asia/phuket.html
There
are, however, some complaints farrang (tourists) might be caught in:
1.
Many people seem to hurry into the sun chair and quickly catch a new colour and
sometimes too fast. Snorkelling for an hour without a T-shirt is also a
big danger. Thus be careful with the sun.
2.
Other skin infections may come from wounds and insects, Bring with you a tube of
Idomin or something like that.
3.
Stomach problems. Here I have fond a good medicine - Travello, which I am always
prepared with. Fast and effective. Remember also: Drink water only from bottles
- never from the tap.
An
advice in the tropics is to take very good care of wounds. The first thing to do
is to clean thoroughly with soap and clean water. This might be enough but the
wound has to be protected. I have seen terrible wounds infected in the tropics.
Sometimes they just started with a mosquito bite.
In April 2007 I got an idea, which may sound crazy. I had one small wound on the shin and one on the ankle and I observed that very small flies were interested of them. Then I thought, maybe these flies are cleaner than other flies so I let them have their party. The result was overwhelming. I have never seen wounds on this parts of the body heal so quickly. My belief is that these flies eat the bacteria, who normaly infect wounds. My camera - Pentax Optio 5 - is able to focus very close to the object and now it saved the party:
My belief in these flies may be controversial so I dare not recommend the method until I have got it verified by some medical doctor. But I will try it again.
Once
I was caught by sand fleas. Their bites were infected and nothing I had was
helping my skin. I had heard that there should be a doctor in Bangla Road
in Karon. Thus when I had been looking for this doctor without finding him I
went into a small restaurant and asked the owner if he knew where to find him.
He told me that I had just come to the right place - he was the doctor I was
looking for. I showed him my wounds and he recognized them as bites from sand
fleas. 'Mai pen rai' (=no problems) he said just sit down and my wife will go
and get your medicine. After five minutes she was back with a salve, which I
should use. I had to pay for this entire 15
From a
recent source I have heard that these people has moved from Bangla Road to one
of its small cross roads. From an other source I heard that Nikom is no doctor.
I have also to
admit that this treatment was no good, so I found a doctors clinic on Thai Na Road
in Kata Centre. There Dr Chusak Ungcharoen gave me better help. He told me that this was
not sand fleas but 'summer rush'. He gave me a new medicine and I paid him 500
If the worst happens you should not be afraid of the hospital in Phuket. It is of a good standard (see http://www.8north.com/phealth.htm). Together with Rich (a friend of Kao) I and my wife once visited Kao when he was on the Phuket International Hospital after a traffic accident. We got a very good impression of the hospital:
If your teeth start to make any problems to you in Phuket, maybe you should feel happy, since there are many good dentists there. Advanced Dental Center in Patong has been recommended by some Swiss friends of mine. Cheap and clever.
But for people like us e.g. staying in Kata Beach it feels more comfortable to take the bus to Phuket Town. There you will find a clinic - Asia Dental Center - at Phuket Road near Tower Clock Circle, tel 076-210191, e-mail: dentalinfo@dentalphuket.com. Some prices (40 bath = 1 US$):
1.
Filling=
600,800,1000,1200,1500,2000 baht
2.
Crown=6000,8000,10000,12000,15000
baht
3.
Bridge=crown/unit
4.
Root
filling=4000-10000 baht
5.
Extraction=500-3000
baht
6.
Prosthetics=5000-20000/arch
7.
Removing
tartar=800-1000 baht
8.
X-ray=200-500
baht
At 4th and 6th of April I checked Asia Dental Center - first with tartar removing and then filling after removing caries in three teeth. This was in fact a really nice experience with Dr Waraporn and her three nurses:
The first treatment costed 800 Baht and the second 3000 Baht - all without any pain.
In order to keep control over your health you have to eat and drink the right things. Never drink tap water. Drink much water, which can be bought everywhere. Many people are afraid of eating food served at the mobile street kitchen or the big fresh markets (Talaat Nat). These places are mostly visited by the local people and are often situated on a fairly rough ground, which during rain gets slushy:
I love these places, where you can get everything: fruit, vegetables, egg, fish, meat, spices, ready-cooked food, clothes, CD, etcetera. These markets are kept open on varying times usually twice a week. They are regularly controlled by the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) and according to my experience fresh markets live up to the name. On many of these places you may sit down and eat the food you buy. You always get a nice company.
Between Chalong and Phuket Town you will find this fast-foot stand, where you can buy a skewer with good pork fillet for only 5 baht:
Similar stands and even more mobile are found frequently on this road all the way from Rawai Beach to Phuket Town. The hygiene is good but the quality varies. Best is the one in Rawai. Most of them also have chicken leg - very good.
Finally some words about smoking. The ban on smokers has now reached Phuket at the airconditioned bars and restaurangs.