Kampuchea Crossings

Bump to baby on the beaten expat track

Life

Bumrungrad Hospital in pictures

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It feels like we’ve been making a tour of hospitals this year. Six months ago we spent a lot of time in St Luke’s Hospital in Manila (also considered a 5-star medical tourism hospital). I had the baby there while Keith had a series of cardiac checkups and screenings. We all had dental work done there too. Now, Keith was evacuated to Bangkok’s Bumrungrad because of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. What a year. Well.. here is Bumrungrad in pictures. Compared to hospitals back home in NYC this looks like a nice hotel.

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Lobby area of the old building, where the patient rooms are.
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Reception area in the new building, where outpatient services for package checkups start.
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Reception area of outpatient services, for package consultations. This is the 10th floor of the new building. There is a Starbucks, a cafeteria and a Bookazine with an awesome selection of kids’ books.
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The pediatric lounge, complete with a play gym. This waiting area is absolutely spacious.
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The 10th floor of the old building where Keith’s private room is. They have these cars for kids stationed all around the hospital departments.
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Keith’s hotel room -err, his hospital room. The movies, sitcoms and music are fairly recent. There’s also a built-in internet for people who didn’t bring their gadgets.
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The couch was large, more than comfortable for an adult staying with the patient, given that it *is* a hospital room. You can also request a cot, which was 200baht/night. This was all convenient for me and the two kids.
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There is a kitchen area with microwave, refrigerator, table and two chairs, a sink, dishes. The bathroom is equipped with a hair dryer.

 

Other posts on this topic:

Maternity package rates at Bumrungrad (Bangkok) and St Luke’s hospital (Manila) Sept 28, 2013

Giving birth in Manila vs Giving birth in Bangkok (for expatriates) Jun 16, 2013

Living in Phnom Penh, Having a baby in Bangkok Feb 20, 2011

Popsicles from Malaysia

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I love these popsicles once in a while. They’re one of the few interesting ice cream brands I’ve seen in Cambodia. By interesting I mean the flavors are local, not the typical imported vanilla chocolate strawberry. They carry red bean, sweet yellow corn, durian, taro (this is the least tasty flavor unfortunately), and black glutinous rice. I’ve only ever seen them in the bigger TELA gas station mini-marts or at the Paragon grocery store (behind the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh).

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Cervical and Breast Cancer in Phnom Penh

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I’ve been asked recently by a few Khmer colleagues about where to go for cervical or breast cancer in Phnom Penh. There is increasing expertise in the private sector, but it’s hard to refer people to those facilities when the reviews of the care is mixed. Below are two health and medical networks that have specialist teams on site who can do screening, diagnostics, counseling and treatment for cervical and breast cancers. They seem to have good reviews from the barang physicians I work with. Check on their website and/or call for more information or for an appointment.

HOPE Worldwide – https://www.hopeww.org There are three facilities depending on income level. There is also some grant funding to cover expenses if cost is an issue.

(1)    Community Medical Center – located on Kampuchea Krom (between 169 and 139) (855) 23986609 The facility charges a sliding scale with fees structured according to income level.

(2)    Embassy Medical Clinic – No. 18, Street 228 (between 51 and 57, around the corner from SOS), Sangkat Chak Tomouk, Khan Daun Penh (855) 23426091 Services are on the highest end out of the three clinics. Consultation was $15 last year when I took my toddler to the American pediatrician, Sutton Whittaker. (Unfortunately he has since left Cambodia :-(

(3)    Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE http://www.sihosp.org/ – St. 134, Sangkat Vealvong, Khan 7 Makara Services for the very poor, located at the Center of HOPE hospital; these services are usually reserved for folks from the provinces that have exhausted all other health care options and have no money.

RHAC (Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia) http://www.rhac.org.kh/ They offer family planning, sexual and reproductive health services in 14 provinces in Cambodia. They have many facilities, and have funding to cover expenses for those in need of it.

Tropical fruit: A special coconut variety

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These coconuts cost 32,000riel (US$8) each at the markets in Battambang town – compared to 2000riel (US$0.50) for a regular coconut. The meat is thick, tender and incredibly sweet. They aren’t in season right now and the seller at the market wouldn’t tell us when that would be (meaning they won’t be so rare thus so expensive). They’re a variety called locally as Dong Ktii and they’re only available in Battambang and Kampot so far as my Khmer colleagues know. Anyone know what kind of coconut these are, and if they’re related or similar to the macapuno variety in the Philippines?

Breakfast at Rising Sun

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As I’ve written before, Rising Sun Bar and Restaurant has one of the best iced coffee in town. (I posted last year about a street stall in front of a hang bai that also makes great coffee). They use a Vietnamese drip called a phin and triple brew it. In the evenings, ask for it spiked with Baileys or Kahlua. The Pho at the shop across Rising or at the corner guest house are average, but I was craving the coffee and just couldn’t do an English breakfast so I got a pho.