Medical Service

24 hrs. Free service all around Thailand.

Things you should know before calling 1669

1. When you are at the emergency scene, try to stay calm/do not panic and call 1669.

2. Provide information to the call center about what happened. Signs and symptoms of the patient or the casualty.

3. Clearly identify the location and route for the ambulance.

4. Inform the call center of the age, sex and number of patients.

5. Inform the call center of the level of consciousness of the patient.

6. Inform of any potential risk recurrence such as the accident being on a street, gas truck involved etc.

7. Give your name and phone number to the call center.

8. Administer first aid as advised by the center.

9. Wait with the patient while the ambulance arrives.

Blood Donation Application Form Click

Q : Why should I donate blood?
A : Giving blood saves lives and improves patients' health. Blood transfusion is needed for :
 - women experiencing complications during pregnancy, such as ectopic pregnancies and hemorrhage before, during or after childbirth;
 - children with severe anemia often resulting from malaria or malnutrition
 - people with severe trauma following man-made and/or natural disasters
 - patients undergoing complex medical and surgical procedures
 - Cancer patients.
     
     Blood is also needed for people who need regular transfusions due to conditions such as thalassemia and sickle cell disease and it is used to make products such as clotting factors for people with hemophilia.There is a constant need for a regular blood supply because blood can be stored for only a limited time before it is no longer of use. Regular blood donations by a sufficient number of healthy people are needed to ensure that safe blood will be available whenever and wherever it is needed.Blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person — the gift of life. A decision to donate your blood can save a life, or even several, if your blood is separated into its components — red cells, platelets and plasma — which can be used individually for patients with specific conditions.
Blood transfusions save lives and improve health, but many patients requiring transfusion do not have timely access to safe blood. The need for blood transfusion may arise at any time in both urban and rural areas. The unavailability of blood has led to deaths and many patients suffering from ill-health. An adequate and reliable supply of safe blood can be assured by a stable base of regular, voluntary, unpaid blood donors. According to the World Health Organisation blood donors are also the safest group of donors as the prevalence of blood borne infections is lowest among this group.

     Donors' Qualifications :
 1. 17-70 years of age, (the donor should not be over 55 years of age when donating for the first time) 
 2. Healthy, with a weight over 45 kg
 3. No history of hepatitis or jaundice
 4. No history of malarial fever for the past 3 years and no sexually transmitted diseases, infectious diseases, persistent cough, coughing up blood, hemophilia, blood-related diseases, asthma, allergy, epilepsy, long-term skin diseases, kidney diseases, heart problems, diabetes, thyroid.
 5. No considerable weight loss
 6. No sexually promiscuous behavior, drug use or record of it.
 7. Blood donation is not recommended during the first 6 months after a medical operation or
child delivery. In case of receiving donated blood, allow 1 year before giving blood.
 8. Female donors must not be menstruating, pregnant, lactating. They must not have had a miscarriage within the last 6 months.
 9. No history of diarrhea in the past 7 days before donating
 10. No vaccinations in the past 14 days or receiving serum in the past year
 11. Potential donors need to wait for more than one year after having acupuncture, a tattoo, any piercing, or tattoo removal
 12. Donors who have had any tooth fillings, scaling or root canal treatment must wait at least 3 days before donating.
 13. If taking either aspirin, muscle relaxants, or painkillers donors must stop taking them 3 days before donating. If taking antibiotics or any other medications they must stop taking them 7 days before donating. If taking or using any form of acne medicine they must leave 1 month before donating.

Before blood donation :
 • Get enough sleep - at least 6 hours
 • Stay healthy - free from colds
 • Prior to the donation, eat non-fat digestible food
 • No alcoholic beverages 24 hours before  donating
 • To enhance the blood-purifying capacity of the lungs, quit smoking 1 hour before and after the donation

After Blood Donation :
 • Rest for a while. Getting up abruptly may cause nausea.
 • Drink the beverage prepared for you and drink a lot of water for 1 day.
 • Make sure you feel all right before leaving.
 • In case of dizziness, tell the nurse immediately.
 • Take the prescribed iron tablet once a day to prevent iron deficiency.
 • To prevent bruises and swelling, avoid using the punctured arm for 12 hours.
 • Avoid activities that use too much energy and cause perspiration.

Please do not give blood if :
 • You or your partner have been involved in sexual intercourse with a male or female prostitute without using condoms during the past 3 months.
 • You or your spouse have been or are intravenous drug users.
 • You have tested positive for HIV.

Donating blood at Koh Samui Hospital
Our blood bank located at Emergency Building, 2 nd floor
Services hour :
 08.30 – 15.30 on Monday – Friday, (lunch break 12.00 – 13.00)
 08.00 – 11.30 on Saturday – Sunday and public holidays
 Contact Number   077 913 200 Ext. 5010 and 4643

   If you are looking for an Asian style alternative medicine, Thai Traditional Medicines is an interesting option.
   Thai Traditional Medicine (TTM) encompasses herbal medicine, traditional massage and traditional midwifery.  This integration of the traditional with the modern contributes to the current health service.
   Thai traditional medicine combines elements of Indian culture, Buddhism, cognitive development and modern day data collection for ongoing developments in the field.
   Thai traditional medicine is very similar to Chinese and Indian medicine, in that it is holistic. It looks at the body in terms of elements - earth, water, wind, and fire - and seeks to keep a balance within.
   However, while the knowledge may be ancient, the practice of Thai traditional medicine is actually somewhat new, as traditional medicine was banned from hospitals and universities in the early 1900s, after Thailand embraced western medicine and the scientific approach. It was not reinstated until the 1970s, when the value of medicinal plants and alternative treatments were finally recognized as valid and cost-efficient.
   In 1993 the government of Thailand created the National Institute of Thai Traditional Medicine, under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Health. The goal of the institute is to "systematize and standardize the body of TTM knowledge", to "gather knowledge, revise, verify, classify, and explain TTM knowledge", and to "compare and explain the philosophies and basic theories of TTM and to produce textbooks on TTM.”
   These days, the Thai Medical Research Institution researches in its labs the medicinal potential of a variety of plants, organizes and runs alternative training courses as well as manufacturing the herbal medicines in their standardized factories. It is from this Research and Development Institute of the Government, under the Ministry of Public Health, that all treatment in herbal medicines in hospitals originates.

At Koh Samui Hospital, we provide
  - Treatment with Thai herbal medicines
  - Traditional healing massage, reflexology and herbal sauna
  - Paralysis rehabilitation
  - Maternal postpartum rehabilitation

Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to make an appointment:
Thai Traditional Medicine Department
Located at Thai Traditional Medicine Building
Tel 077 913 200 ext. 8001 or 4631

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

   Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an intrinsic part of the Chinese nation and culture and originated thousands of years ago, with generation after generation throughout the centuries perfecting and developing this form of healing.
   Traditional Chinese Medicine is based upon the principles of Yin and Yang and the five elements, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. In accordance with this principle health, is a harmonious balance of all the elements.  
   A practitioner of Chinese medicine will use four diagnostic methods: Looking at the outward appearance of the patient, listening to the voice and breath as well as smelling the breath's odor, asking the patient or friends about the symptoms and taking the pulse. After the practitioner has made a diagnosis he or she will decide upon the appropriate treatment.
   One of the fundamental beliefs of Chinese Traditional Medicine is that human beings are a part of nature, which is made up of Yin and Yang. These two elements, Yin and Yang are opposites, and yet are also interdependent – one cannot survive without the other. The levels of Yin and Yang are continuously changing. Normally this is a harmonious change, but when Yin or Yang are out of balance they affect each other, and too much of one can eventually weaken the other. It is this imbalance that leads to poor health, disease and problems.
   Another of the fundamental beliefs of TCM is that the condition of life and disease correlate closely with the changes we can observe in nature, such as the changing of the seasons and the daily rotation of day and night. Thus the degree to which you can find harmony within your environment will also make a difference to your well-being.
   It is for these reasons that TCM focuses on all these elements, the season and environment in order to be able to diagnose and treat individuals according to their own unique factors.
   It is quite a complicated medical science. TCM doctors do not treat according to the symptoms, they consider many factors as we have stated above, and they also believe that an early diagnosis of disease in one organ does not mean only that one organ should be treated. All the organs of our body should be considered as a whole and then after careful consideration the doctor will decide on the best treatment from a holistic approach to the body as an whole.

Chinese Medicine Treatments
   There are a variety of treatments available in Chinese medicine but they are basically divided into two major categories.
   1- Internal treatment with herbal medications
Doctors have discovered the medicinal effects of thousands of herbs over a long period of time. Before taking the medicine, the patient will have to boil it and the doctor will advise on the proper preparation and when to drink it.
   2- External Treatment with topical heat, acupuncture and others
These days Traditional Chinese Medicine has become more internationally known and respected with many doctors working throughout the world in co-operation with their counterparts in China to build upon the development of this field of medicine.
	
Acupuncture
   Acupuncture is a medical science with a history of over 2000 years. Acupuncture therapy has been found to be a simple, fast, effective, economical and safe form of treatment. In recent years, acupuncture has enjoyed a surge in international recognition and popularity. Currently, there are research studies and treatment with acupuncture in more than 140 countries worldwide.
   Acupuncture is "the treatment of the internal from the external”.
The theory in acupuncture is to regulate the circulation of qi (vital energy) and blood.
When there is balance there will be good health but when the qi becomes blocked at a certain point in the body then ill health will result. Acupuncture locates these points, known as meridian points, along the blood vessels and tries to unblock the flow thereby resulting in an even and healthy flow. This will improve blood circulation, the balance of Yin and Yang, and increase the performance of internal organs, and will improve the body's immunity system.

   At Koh Samui Hospital we have a Traditional Chinese Medicine center staffed by professionals who graduated in China.
Acupuncture Treatment is provided at Koh Samui Hospital for:
  • Paralysis rehabilitation	
  • Weight reduction / weight control	
  • Skin and muscle firming	
  • Pain relief for example migraines, neck and shoulder pain as well as ankle sprain 
  • Chronic diseases such as asthma or allergy
  • Other medical problems that can be helped by acupuncture include insomnia, GERD, constipation, dysmenorrhea, and chronic cold etc.

We also offer cupping therapy and moxibustion therapy.

Prohibitions on acupuncture
  - Pregnancy
  - Cancer
  - Bleeding disorder disease

Q: How long does it take for an acupuncture treatment ?
A: Each session of acupuncture takes about 20 – 30 minutes.
Acute symptoms usually require 3-5 sessions
Some diseases require at least 10-15 sessions
In the case of a chronic disease the number of sessions will be assessed by the practitioner.
Patients should have acupuncture treatment at least once a week but for more effective treatment it is recommended to have two or three sessions a week.  

Preparing for Acupuncture
  - Get enough sleep
  - Eat normally and should not be fasting.
  - Wear clothes that are not tight - loose pants that can easily be lifted above the knee, short sleeve shirts are ideal.

Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to make an appointment:
Traditional Chinese Medicine Department
Located in the Thai Traditional Medicine Building
Tel 077 913 200 ext. 1021
Open Monday – Friday 08.00 – 16.00 (except public holidays)