Here in Phuket we may have more exposure to these than at home. Being on a tropical island with a large and vibrant party scene, it’s understandable that some of us do drink a little more alcohol than we should as well as adding a few more kilograms due to frequenting the island’s great restaurants.

Having a regular, some say yearly, health check up makes good sense. We note that increasing numbers of patients are using Phuket’s hospitals for such health check ups. It’s becoming a very popular thing for tourists to do while they’re on holiday.

In Phuket, most hospitals offer a quick and very reliable health service. The advantage of having these check ups done here is that you’re also usually given that excellent Thai service. The prices are extremely reasonable, often a fraction of the price paid in some western countries.

Check ups in Phuket hospitals come in many forms from basic packages to executive programs. The latter will include full laboratory and cardiovascular investigations, exercise stress tests and x-rays. Some programs are even more extensive, including CT scans and a complete dental examination. Most can be completed in a few hours and results are available within a day or two. Because most of Phuket’s better hospitals have all the facilities at the same location, the need to travel to different clinics, laboratories and x-ray facilities is avoided.

The main aim of any check up is to detect illness at an early stage, or better still, prevent illness occurring in the first place. Having a regular check up also promotes wellness and facilitates prompt, expert and, hopefully, compassionate treatment of injuries and disease. It’s surprising how many conditions are picked up on routine medical check ups. Diabetes, breast lumps, elevated blood pressure, and skin cancers to name but a few.

About 20% of people coming for health check ups have high blood pressure. This increases to more than 50% in adults over the age of 65 years. The role of high blood pressure in strokes and heart disease is very clear. Only half of the people with high blood pressure have had the condition diagnosed and it takes only minutes to check. Also, around 3% of adults are diabetic and, again, only half are aware that they have the condition.

Health check ups also screen for cancers with procedures such as pap smears for cancer of the cervix and PSA testing for prostate cancer. Cholesterol levels can also be checked as high readings have also been linked to the risk of having a heart attack.

With all of these tests and a range of hospitals and clinics providing them, how do we choose which is best for us?

Firstly, using cost and discounted prices as a guide to selecting a check up is not advisable. A cheap program has fewer tests. However, an expensive program can include a range of tests that you don’t need. For example, if you’re under 30 years of age, there’s little benefit of having an exercise stress test if you don’t have a history of heart disease. A better option is to learn what type of tests you need. If you don’t know what is advisable, do some research, or ask the hospitals and providers what they consider is best suited for you. Once you know what tests you actually need, shop around for the program that will match your requirement. If you can’t find a program, just request the tests that you want and make up your own personalised check up program.

Having a regular health check up is inexpensive and makes good sense. Consider it as making an investment in your body’s future. Finding out the statue of your health now could save you lots of money later. It could also save your life.

Peter Davison is the Manager International Services
at Phuket International Hospital.
Tel: +66 (0)76 249400. Email: info@phuketinternationalhospital.com.