Asia's premier rehab facility scores 96% completion rate

Medical tourism is big news these days in Thailand, so I thought I'd share the following item which caught my eye recently ...

The Cabin Chiang Mai, widely regarded as the premier drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in Asia, recorded an impressive 96% completion rate of all clients in 2010.

Though structured along the well-established 12 Steps rehabilitation lines, The Cabin’s drug and alcohol addiction treatment programmes comprise highly progressive evidence-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques and personalized counselling elements.

“Our clients greatly appreciate our intelligent approach individually tailored to each client’s personal needs. It’s an unusually intensive programme in which they become very engaged. Even while they are with us clients begin to enjoy significant life changes,” says Programme Director and Head Counsellor, Alastair Mordey.

Programmes are completely secular and involve no religious component, so are suitable for all races and faiths.

“We also focus on fitness and mindfulness components, making the most of our wonderful natural setting,” says Centre Director Peter Maplethorpe. “A great setting to kick-start a new mindset.”

The centre presents like a 5-star luxury boutique tropical resort with its riverside setting and comfortable teak-wood cabins in an area just outside Chiang Mai. 

A lot of top resorts would give anything for this setting, jing jing, because it takes in simultaneous views of both the River Ping and Doi Suthep.

“Your privacy and anonymity are absolutely assured in our secluded riverside facility far from the prying eyes of family, friends and colleagues. Our clients are also far from their usual addiction triggers, and enjoy a vibrant group dynamic in a fresh environment, living the healthy lifestyle they dream of, even while still in rehab,” says Maplethorpe.

Despite the fact that The Cabin offers clients an industry-unique pro-rata refund should they choose to exit the programme at any point, no one has exercised this option yet. “It shows our confidence in the quality of our treatment programmes,” says Maplethorpe. “In fact, an unusually high proportion of clients actually extend beyond the minimum 28 days.”

As Asia’s leading rehab centre, clients can expect the same high level of care they would get in, say, Australia, the UK or USA. The Cabin’s counsellors are British and Canadian, but clients also enjoy the renowned added care and compassion of local Thai staff, too, especially in the areas of fitness, yoga, and massage.

Exorbitant cost is usually the stumbling block for recovery at international treatment centres, but not at The Cabin Chiang Mai. “Our affordability comes not from sacrificing professionalism, treatment or accommodation standards, but rather in the low operating cost of our locale,” says Maplethorpe. “We are able to offer a world-class recovery programme at a price almost one third of comparable treatment in Western countries, even though we employ highly qualified Western professionals.”

Thailand is furnished with a range of international hospitals, spas and wellness centers.  Just nine hours’ flight from Sydney (with direct flights from many other cities, too) it is a beacon for those wishing to improve their health in a safe environment.

Chiang Mai is also one of the world’s great adventure travel destinations and The Cabin offers an attractive array of excursions including elephant trekking, zipline jungle canopy tours, white-water rafting, Thai cooking lessons, fishing or hot springs each Sunday.

“One advantage of our location and excursions is that you can return home from your programme looking happy and healthy, and show everyone great photos of your adventure holiday in Chiang Mai. No one would ever guess you’ve been here for rehab treatment,” says Maplethorpe.

Know anyone who might need help? Refer them to www.thecabinchiangmai.com

Medical Tourism -- Open Wide and Say Aah!

'Many hospitals in Thailand have upgraded services and qualifications to equal any first world service,' says Dr Zadok Lempert, CEO of Medico Management and Travel Services. Well, I completely disagree, Dr Lempert -- the few hospitals I've seen in Thailand absolutely wipe the floor of the Australian ones I've visited.

And there's your first clue. Hospitals in Thailand actually smell like hospitals. Remember in the old days, you'd walk into a hospital and the whole place would smell like disinfectant? Then somewhere along the line, they couldn't afford to pay people to wipe down the floors any more, so Australian hospitals became giant experimental laboratories where world-class Superbugs were bred. I believe if you go to the Royal Easter Show there's even a category for Best Superbug on Show, the winner proudly parading around with a shiny sash over his white lab coat. Jing jing!

So that dischenchantment -- which is also been experienced in other 'leading world-class countries' like the USA -- has given rise to Medical Tourism. Wherein people say, Sod this, I can go to Thailand, stay in a hospital that looks and feels like a hotel, get treated by doctors that invariably trained in Australia, the US or the UK, pay a fraction of the fee that I would at home, then recover fully at a 'destination spa' in Phuket or Samui for a week or so. Much cheaper than I can go to the hospital down the road and contract Golden Staph.

Dr Lempert puts Thailand's costs at around 60 to 70% less than most international countries. 'So even getting a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th opinion is very affordable.'

Deloitte Research showed that 10 million Americans were 'medical tourists' last year. 'Medical tourism is becoming a business,' says Dr Lempert. 'From 500,000 patients 10 years ago, we have now 1.5 million people seeking treatments. That's almost 10% of arrivals in Thailand, and it is growing.' Many of these suffer allergies, respiratory problems, dental and ocular problems. Many no doubt get their boobs and bits done.

He points to world-class JCI certification of around 8 hospitals currently, top-of-the-line technology, and immediate admissions as part of the attraction. That's right, you can just waltz (presuming you're not there for a hip replacement) into any hospital here and present yourself to a specialist, without going through all that costly and timely referral nonsense. Within a few hours, he's seen you, diagnosed you, and you know where you stand. Or lie.

And if you're not convinced yet, let me just say that no one has really touched on the best reason to be in a Thai hospital: Thai nurses. If you want a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) opinion, just ask Dr Lampert ... I'm sure we agree on that.


Footnote: an excellent book on this is Patients Beyond Borders: Everybody's Guide to Affordable World Class Medical Tourism. Think of it as the Lonely Planet guide for hospitals in Thailand.