My brother is sick in Siem Reap- is Royal Angkor International Hospital okay?
Feb 27th, 2008, 09:57 AM
#1
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My brother is sick in Siem Reap- is Royal Angkor International Hospital okay?
For almost three weeks, my brother has been traveling through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and is now in Cambodia. He apparently got very sick (violent vomiting, etc.) at his last stop in Vietnam and went directly to the hospital in Siem Reap when he arrived there. He is at the "International hospital" in Siem Reap (which I believe is the Royal Angkor International Hospital) where doctors are running tests and have him on IV fluids. I was wondering if anyone has any experience or knows anything about this hospital (i.e. whether it's okay for him to be treated there or whether he should try to get to Bumrungrad in Bkk). Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.
Feb 27th, 2008, 11:03 AM
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If he isn't better now, he should get himself to Bumrungrad in Bangkok immediately. No Cambodian hospital is up to western standards, though they can administer IV fluids. Even hospitals in Cambodia have some problems with counterfiet meds.
Feb 27th, 2008, 11:14 AM
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I have no knowledge of the hospital at all and am only coming in on this as I think you need perhaps some tips.
Going simply by what is on the net it appears to connected with the Bangkok Hospital Group ( Thailand ) which here at least are good.
1> Are you in contact with your brother direct ?
- If not does he have a travel companion you are in contact with ?
A decision on what is wrong and what treatment is down to the doctors there. Only they know the details. If you are able to speak to your brother you need to ascertain his ability to handle the situation. If you are in any doubt, e.g you cannot communicate directly to him or any travel companion and simply cannot get any information then that is when oyou need to take a 'next step'.
e.g call your Embassy in Phnom Penh and speak to them, they may well know nationals of your country who are in Siem Reap ( NGO's etc )there in some capacity who can go and find out what is happening, or, they can have one of their people speak to the hospital, find the status and then let you know.
Does he have medical insurance?
I think the big question is whether this is something minor or more serious, and that will only be known once those tests are done.
You could be in excellent luck and have someone in Siem Reap at the moment who could go and see him.
Muuch of this comes down to what sort of cummunication you have with him (?) - you know he is having tests so I guess you must have contact.
There is obviusly a balance to be made when someone is ill into treatment where they are or moving, of course moving means a flight etc and someone who is ill might simply not be in a position to do this.
If you get any cause for 'concern' get the number of your embassy in Phnom Penh and speak to them. Some country's embassies are better than others.
Do you at home have good contact with your/family Doctor? If so perhaps they can call the hospital and speak 'doctor to doctor'.
There main website pagesdoes not seem to be working ( from here anyhow ) but some pages work ok -but their tel numbers are:
(855) 63 761 888, (855) 12 235 888, (855) 63 399 111
I would forget emailing, pick up the phone
http://www.royalangkorhospital.com/en/contactus.asp#
http://www.royalangkorhospital.com/
Going simply by what is on the net it appears to connected with the Bangkok Hospital Group ( Thailand ) which here at least are good.
1> Are you in contact with your brother direct ?
- If not does he have a travel companion you are in contact with ?
A decision on what is wrong and what treatment is down to the doctors there. Only they know the details. If you are able to speak to your brother you need to ascertain his ability to handle the situation. If you are in any doubt, e.g you cannot communicate directly to him or any travel companion and simply cannot get any information then that is when oyou need to take a 'next step'.
e.g call your Embassy in Phnom Penh and speak to them, they may well know nationals of your country who are in Siem Reap ( NGO's etc )there in some capacity who can go and find out what is happening, or, they can have one of their people speak to the hospital, find the status and then let you know.
Does he have medical insurance?
I think the big question is whether this is something minor or more serious, and that will only be known once those tests are done.
You could be in excellent luck and have someone in Siem Reap at the moment who could go and see him.
Muuch of this comes down to what sort of cummunication you have with him (?) - you know he is having tests so I guess you must have contact.
There is obviusly a balance to be made when someone is ill into treatment where they are or moving, of course moving means a flight etc and someone who is ill might simply not be in a position to do this.
If you get any cause for 'concern' get the number of your embassy in Phnom Penh and speak to them. Some country's embassies are better than others.
Do you at home have good contact with your/family Doctor? If so perhaps they can call the hospital and speak 'doctor to doctor'.
There main website pagesdoes not seem to be working ( from here anyhow ) but some pages work ok -but their tel numbers are:
(855) 63 761 888, (855) 12 235 888, (855) 63 399 111
I would forget emailing, pick up the phone
http://www.royalangkorhospital.com/en/contactus.asp#
http://www.royalangkorhospital.com/
Feb 27th, 2008, 01:33 PM
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How sad that even in Siem Reap there isn't a hospital that is up to standards needed. 
When I was prepping for my trip back in 2001, in any notice on what to do if you get sick, rule #1 was <b>Get to Bangkok</b>
When I was prepping for my trip back in 2001, in any notice on what to do if you get sick, rule #1 was <b>Get to Bangkok</b>
Feb 27th, 2008, 03:24 PM
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I suggest getting to BKK as well. There is a hospital there that I must say is the best I have ever seen and not at all over priced. Bangkok Nursing home hospital. When I was there in 2004 my girlfriend was extremely sick and they got us in right away she was admitted and had her own room and three nurses around the clock. I am sure there are other good ones but having worked in hospitals for a long time I feel this one is the best.
http://www.bnhhospital.com/
http://www.bnhhospital.com/
Feb 27th, 2008, 04:25 PM
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I guess I'm different from most others. I'd stay put in Siem Reap, at least until doctors/insurance companies deemed evacuation necessary. Siem Reap is not the end of the earth. If you are going to be sick in Cambodia, it's the place to be imo.
Without more information, I wouldn't panic and evacuate to Bangkok or Singapore. It is very possible, even likely, that he got food poisoning or similar, and will be fine with fluids and antibiotic treatment.
Wait and see what he says, what the doctor says, what the insurance company says...
And I hope for his speedy recovery.
Without more information, I wouldn't panic and evacuate to Bangkok or Singapore. It is very possible, even likely, that he got food poisoning or similar, and will be fine with fluids and antibiotic treatment.
Wait and see what he says, what the doctor says, what the insurance company says...
And I hope for his speedy recovery.
Feb 27th, 2008, 04:45 PM
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And on no account bring him home.
The doctors over there deal with tropical illnesses all the time. Bring him back to Michigan (or wherever) and the docs there won't know one tropical amoeba from another.
The doctors over there deal with tropical illnesses all the time. Bring him back to Michigan (or wherever) and the docs there won't know one tropical amoeba from another.
Feb 27th, 2008, 08:16 PM
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I agree with Kim stay where he is until you find out what is wrong. Your brother is in the best hospital in Cambodia that is gradually approaching to near western standards.
People that say there is no good hospital in Siem Reap are not up to date.
The Angkor International Hospital is a brand new medical facility which opened in mid 2007 and is located off Route 6 near to the Airport, 3kms from town. It is run by the Bangkok Hospital Group and caters mainly to the tourists trade. There is an outpatients dept as well as a Orthopedic and Cardiac unit. They can also arrange to send him to a Bangkok hospital if deemed necessary.
People that say there is no good hospital in Siem Reap are not up to date.
The Angkor International Hospital is a brand new medical facility which opened in mid 2007 and is located off Route 6 near to the Airport, 3kms from town. It is run by the Bangkok Hospital Group and caters mainly to the tourists trade. There is an outpatients dept as well as a Orthopedic and Cardiac unit. They can also arrange to send him to a Bangkok hospital if deemed necessary.
Feb 28th, 2008, 05:12 AM
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Everyone- Thank you very much for the responses and your concern. My brother is in college and at the tail end of his trip. In two days he is scheduled to fly to Bkk and take a connecting flight to Australia, where he is studying abroad for the semester. It's his first time traveling on an unsupervised trip, so I am sure that you can imagine the scare that my family received when his traveling buddy called to say he was extremely sick and in the hospital.
My brother decided to stay in Siem Reap at Royal Angkor (as opposed to "evacuating" to Bkk). The doctors put him on IV fluids and began running tests immediately. He is still on IV fluids and IV antibiotics and the doctors want him to spend an additional night, but are hoping that he can be discharged in the morning. So far, tests for parasites came back negative. He does have some kind of colitis and the doctors are awaiting bacterial tests.
For those of you who have traveled or will be traveling to Siem Reap, my brother said that the hospital is wonderful- English speaking doctors and nurses who are checking in on him, treating him, and keeping him apprised of everything around the clock. He has travel insurance and would certainly go to Bkk if he didn't feel comfortable being treated at this hospital. However, he said the hospital appears to be very clean and in excellent condition, the doctors very competent, and he feels that he is getting great care. As many of you know from my yet-to-be-finished (more to come this weekend) trip report, my husband and I were in Siem Reap last week. I still recall reading in our Lonely Planet Cambodia guide that "if you get sick in Cambodia, get out of the country ASAP because you can only expect to get sicker in a Cambodian hospital" (or something to that effect). As far as I know, the most recent edition of the book is still a few years old, and it appears that the hospital situation has improved dramatically with the completion of the Royal Angkor Hospital. If my brother (or anyone else) needed longer term care, treatment, surgery, etc. it still might be prudent to go to a hospital in Bkk, as they are much more established than this one in Siem Reap. But for my brother's condition (which hopefully really is only temporary and easily treatable), it seems that the Royal Angkor Hospital is doing a great job.
Thank you again for the advice and concern!
My brother decided to stay in Siem Reap at Royal Angkor (as opposed to "evacuating" to Bkk). The doctors put him on IV fluids and began running tests immediately. He is still on IV fluids and IV antibiotics and the doctors want him to spend an additional night, but are hoping that he can be discharged in the morning. So far, tests for parasites came back negative. He does have some kind of colitis and the doctors are awaiting bacterial tests.
For those of you who have traveled or will be traveling to Siem Reap, my brother said that the hospital is wonderful- English speaking doctors and nurses who are checking in on him, treating him, and keeping him apprised of everything around the clock. He has travel insurance and would certainly go to Bkk if he didn't feel comfortable being treated at this hospital. However, he said the hospital appears to be very clean and in excellent condition, the doctors very competent, and he feels that he is getting great care. As many of you know from my yet-to-be-finished (more to come this weekend) trip report, my husband and I were in Siem Reap last week. I still recall reading in our Lonely Planet Cambodia guide that "if you get sick in Cambodia, get out of the country ASAP because you can only expect to get sicker in a Cambodian hospital" (or something to that effect). As far as I know, the most recent edition of the book is still a few years old, and it appears that the hospital situation has improved dramatically with the completion of the Royal Angkor Hospital. If my brother (or anyone else) needed longer term care, treatment, surgery, etc. it still might be prudent to go to a hospital in Bkk, as they are much more established than this one in Siem Reap. But for my brother's condition (which hopefully really is only temporary and easily treatable), it seems that the Royal Angkor Hospital is doing a great job.
Thank you again for the advice and concern!
Feb 28th, 2008, 09:16 AM
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Good - that's great.
Fact that he has a travel companion makes a big ( very big ) difference.
Perhaps a time to note importance of making sure family back home have details of travel insurance etc and also if having a travel companion make sure each knows eachother's insurance details, family contacts etc etc.
Bangkok Hospital group is quite good here.
Fact that he has a travel companion makes a big ( very big ) difference.
Perhaps a time to note importance of making sure family back home have details of travel insurance etc and also if having a travel companion make sure each knows eachother's insurance details, family contacts etc etc.
Bangkok Hospital group is quite good here.
Feb 28th, 2008, 10:44 AM
#15
So glad to hear that things are working out so far. It is good that he has a companion - I once wound up in hospital on a trip when I was traveling alone, and it was one time I really noticed a downside of solo travel!
Feb 28th, 2008, 03:54 PM
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I'm pleased to hear that there is now a hospital in Siem Reap that is managed by the Bangkok Hospital Group. This makes me more comfortable in recommending that the patient stay in Siem Reap for urgent care treatment. If they person needed more than that, I would still recommend that they fly to Bangkok.
Feb 29th, 2008, 02:59 PM
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My point was rhetorical of course.
To be blunt, I believe that those who are not professional ought not be giving their opinions to this type of question. While I understand that people are trying to be helpful, medical decisions should be based on many factors unknown to us (condition and medical history of the patient, in particular).
To be blunt, I believe that those who are not professional ought not be giving their opinions to this type of question. While I understand that people are trying to be helpful, medical decisions should be based on many factors unknown to us (condition and medical history of the patient, in particular).
