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Japanese Health Service - as bad as they say?


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I went to the doctor on saturday and it was a total disaster.

 

I was thinking it would be good to get everyone's stories together to see whether peoples experience in hospitals/doctors here is generally good or not.

 

My story:

 

Went to the doctor to try and solve a problem with my toenail. The doctor is supposed to be the cities specialist in this. Turned up to find that the doctor is at least 80 years, possibly even 85. I sit down and he leans over into my ear and says 'do you need cream or oral medicine?'. I reply that I dont know if I need medicine or not yet. He starts babbling about different medicine he has and how many times a week it needs to be taken etc (this is all before I have explained what is wrong with me). Eventually he looks at the toe, picks up some pliers, and without washing the pliers, applying any antiseptic cream or painkiller to my toe, or even explaining what he is going to do, he starts to try and pull my toenail off!

 

I immediately made some excuse to leave (I am flying back to UK this evening, have to pack) and said goodbye. The receptionist then gave me an invoice for 1350yen. No apology was given for wasting my only space that week to see a doctor, wasting my morning, or taking my money for no service.

 

Sorry, but if that happened in the UK I would be on the phone the health service straight away to get that guy out of business. No idea how that stuff works here though, cant be assed to waste my time on it.

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Aye! Bobby! That sounds terrible!

 

If you have an infection caused by an ingrown toenail hit up a USA ex-pat for a tube of triple antibiotic cream. We can't get it here in Aus, and I don't beleive you can get it in the UK either - but it really is BRILLIANT! It has saved me from dozens of wasted trips to the Dr's, and I take it with me on all my travels.

 

I am the local supplier here (not literally!) as my friends have all had issues that I have remedied with this fabo ointment, and come knocking to 'borrow' a tube. Lucky I have obliging USA mates who will swap tubes of the stuff for Tim Tams and Cadbury Creme Eggs. One of our travelling partners kids had a sore on his hand and mouth by the time we got to Niseko in April last year, and it was getting worse - I was sure it was school sores (impetigo)and it was - so I whipped out a tube of Triple Antibiotic - the kid was better in a day or two, and no interuption to our snow holiday.

 

It is annoying that you can buy this stuff at Walmart in the US, and can't even get it on a prescription here - the presecription meds for imetigo in Aus is Bacitracin alone, and is WAY less effective.

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I've heard some nightmare stories, but personally the only problem I've had are with wisdom teeth. With four impacted teeth, the hospital still refused a general anaesthetic because of "liability." I had one out but felt like I was visiting a blacksmith.

 

In Japan, healthcare is either state-of-the art or bordering on primitive, with little in-between. Stick to the big public hospitals or recognized private hospitals and you can't go too far wrong.

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Sounds like you got a bad dac!

At that age though, I'd be weary!

 

I have a doc I got to because I know I can get in really quick and get an X ray done (usually after fights).

If I need treatment, I take the X-ray to my specialist!

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I had to go get my shoulder reduced once- asked for any painkillers because for those who know you wouldn"t wish it on your worst enemy almost- I asked for morphine but there was none I was told- don"t really want to elaborate on the alternative form they offered !

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Yes, mamabear. Walking up stairs and riding bikes to the deli for a pint of milk.

 

Oldies don't ride bikes in Oz. The safety elves have deemed it unsafe for people who have ridden bikes for 40 years to be safe without a hellmutt. They now drive instead.

 

But you are missing the point. A nation of heavy smokers with abysmal elf and safety regulations and an (apparently) shite health system outlive the tut-tuts.

 

Perhaps if Japan were to conform to Western standards we could drag life expectancy down.

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 Originally Posted By: tripitaka

In Japan, healthcare is either state-of-the art or bordering on primitive, with little in-between. Stick to the big public hospitals or recognized private hospitals and you can't go too far wrong.



I think there are many good doctors in small practices too.
I almost never go to a large hospital.
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I'm with you, bobby. Old doctors are so useless.

The first doctor I visited last week had no confident when he found a tumor in my spine, he was probably over 60years old.

He was like, "It looks like benign tumor... but benign tumor can be malignant tumor sometimes..." tired.gif tired.gif !! frown.gif

The second doctor was very clear to tell me it was benign tumor.

 

From my experience, second docotor is always better.

I could meet two nice doctors after careless treatment by first doctors.

 

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The big problem in Japan (in almost everything, not just the health system) is that they are taught from a very young age not to question authority. Doctors unfortunately are part of what is considered 'authority' so even the worst of them don't get brought inline or kicked out. And as far as I can tell there isn't really a culture of litigation either. In the west bad doctors are sued out of a practice quick enough.

 

And soubs I think you'll find that Japanese lifespans have much to do with their diet. But as more western junk foods make their way into the culture they'll be dying off just as quick as any of us \:D

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Thanks CB, Serreche, thursday, sunrise. smile.gif

I was relieved when the doctor said it was a benign tumor called "osteoid osteoma". Actually he apologized that the first doctor couldn't explain about this tumor and said something wrong...

It looks like I have a small pingpong ball in my spine. No pain in the daytime but intense pain at night is typical symptom of this tumor.

I'm on painkiller now and hoping this pain will disappear after two weeks.

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 Originally Posted By: Go Native

And soubs I think you'll find that Japanese lifespans have much to do with their diet. But as more western junk foods make their way into the culture they'll be dying off just as quick as any of us \:D


Yep, a few large cups of sake everynight, with some nice old fried food and a shitroad of ciggies makes for a healthy life!
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 Originally Posted By: Go Native

And soubs I think you'll find that Japanese lifespans have much to do with their diet. But as more western junk foods make their way into the culture they'll be dying off just as quick as any of us \:D


I agree. It also has to do with attitudes about portion sizes. Super-size portions usually leads to super-sized physiques and associated health problems.
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I always thought that and then I read a story saying that actually BMI: overweight (as opposed to BMI: normal or BMI: obese) is the healthiest one. Less chance of getting cancers etc, that was published I think on bbc news about 2 months ago.

 

I guess BMI: overweight people have plenty of vitamins etc to draw on Vs. skinny people. I remember my step-dad was a skinny MF and he was always getting colds and illnesses.

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