Central Hospital

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gadfly23
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Central Hospital

Post by gadfly23 »

Is the quality of care at Central Hospital in PP high enough that you wouldn't need evac insurance?
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Doc67
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Re: Central Hospital

Post by Doc67 »

gadfly23 wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:27 am Is the quality of care at Central Hospital in PP high enough that you wouldn't need evac insurance?
I have insurance with med-evac. I wouldn't consider a policy without it. The problem is if you get something serious, like the ubiquitous heart attack you are unlikely to be in any fit condition to travel. Airline's are a bit picky; the like the newly wed, not nearly dead. I suppose an air ambulance is an option but that is very big bucks and the insurance company might well just wait it out for a day or two for you to get better in PP or die, thus solving their problem.

One thing I would say about insurance. Don't leave your policy documents on your password protected laptop or mobile phone. If you are out for the count after a traffic crash, fall, bang on the head etc, you're policy should be very easy to find. The sooner the hospital knows they are going to get paid, the sooner they might make a decent effort of keeping you alive.

I carry a insurance card with my cash - I never leave home without it. I also have a picture of it as a wallpaper of my phone (no password needed). There ain't much more I can do.
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Spigzy
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Re: Central Hospital

Post by Spigzy »

I wouldn't go for a basic medical check up at Central Hospital.

It got recommended to me by Khmer colleagues when my son was still knocking around inside a belly at 2-3 months gestation. I had a look to see if it would be good for delivery and was quite shocked at the dismal quality to be honest. Yes the staff are the Calmette maternity crew which has its benefits; Calmette sees a huge number of births versus a private hospital and the staff will have seen just about every outcome & know what to do (much like an NHS hospital being better for complicated childbirth than a private hospital in the UK). But it looked dirty, was clearly built as a residential building & not a hospital, and the staff seemed to have the usual dismal quality on the front desk that you find in a condo that you'd probably be dead before a doctor got a call to come down to see you. Maybe it's changed in the 6 years or so that have passed since it opened, but I doubt it - I ride past it nearly every day and it looks just as bad, from the outside.

Take the evac insurance.
Meum est propositum in taberna mori,
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
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Kuroneko
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Re: Central Hospital

Post by Kuroneko »

Spigzy wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 11:19 am I wouldn't go for a basic medical check up at Central Hospital.

It got recommended to me by Khmer colleagues when my son was still knocking around inside a belly at 2-3 months gestation. I had a look to see if it would be good for delivery and was quite shocked at the dismal quality to be honest. Yes the staff are the Calmette maternity crew which has its benefits; Calmette sees a huge number of births versus a private hospital and the staff will have seen just about every outcome & know what to do (much like an NHS hospital being better for complicated childbirth than a private hospital in the UK). But it looked dirty, was clearly built as a residential building & not a hospital, and the staff seemed to have the usual dismal quality on the front desk that you find in a condo that you'd probably be dead before a doctor got a call to come down to see you. Maybe it's changed in the 6 years or so that have passed since it opened, but I doubt it - I ride past it nearly every day and it looks just as bad, from the outside.

Take the evac insurance.
Central is an excellent hospital with top class facilities. I have used and had dealings with staff since it opened. I dont have the patience to argue but your incorrect assessment could cost someone their life
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Cooldude
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Re: Central Hospital

Post by Cooldude »

I had the exact opposite experience at Central hospital when I took a friend there for heart issues. He was in the ICU which was a complete joke. We got him out of there ASAP and got him on a plane home. I wouldn't go back in there to get a band aid applied. Now, Royal Phnom Penh hospital is another game all together. Highly recommended.
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xandreu
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Re: Central Hospital

Post by xandreu »

As with most things in the KOW, it's not the hospital itself, it's who you end up seeing. I've had good and bad experiences with Central hospital. I think the same can be said for a lot of hospitals here, unless you really want to dry your wallet out and go down the Royal Phnom Penh route.
The difference between animals and humans is that animals would never allow the dumb ones to lead the pack.
joelightcloud
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Re: Central Hospital

Post by joelightcloud »

Personally, other than getting out of Cambodia the Royal Phnom Penh hospital is the only place I'd consider for anything requiring hospital treatment.
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Spigzy
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Re: Central Hospital

Post by Spigzy »

Kuroneko wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 11:29 am
Spigzy wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 11:19 am I wouldn't go for a basic medical check up at Central Hospital.

It got recommended to me by Khmer colleagues when my son was still knocking around inside a belly at 2-3 months gestation. I had a look to see if it would be good for delivery and was quite shocked at the dismal quality to be honest. Yes the staff are the Calmette maternity crew which has its benefits; Calmette sees a huge number of births versus a private hospital and the staff will have seen just about every outcome & know what to do (much like an NHS hospital being better for complicated childbirth than a private hospital in the UK). But it looked dirty, was clearly built as a residential building & not a hospital, and the staff seemed to have the usual dismal quality on the front desk that you find in a condo that you'd probably be dead before a doctor got a call to come down to see you. Maybe it's changed in the 6 years or so that have passed since it opened, but I doubt it - I ride past it nearly every day and it looks just as bad, from the outside.

Take the evac insurance.
Central is an excellent hospital with top class facilities. I have used and had dealings with staff since it opened. I dont have the patience to argue but your incorrect assessment could cost someone their life
Fair point, without wanting to be all doom & gloom I'd totally agree that it is still probably in the top five hospitals in Phnom Penh to go to in an emergency as an expat all the same; there are much, much, much worse. If you're having a heart attack in GSM, it'd be the "go-to" hospital rather than trying to make it to Royal PP, Calmette or wherever else.

If it is indeed much better than year one, then great - happy to be corrected. The Khmers certainly rate it very highly, I cannot argue on that. :hattip:
Meum est propositum in taberna mori,
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
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