General Surgeon Doctor Bank was born and grew up in Bangkok and studied at Mahidol University at the Faculty of Medicine before coming to Koh Samui to take the job of General Surgeon at Bandon Hospital...
So how did you end up on Koh Samui?
I graduated and then worked at Phiamongkut Hospital for four years and was then sent to Nathon Hospital where I worked for three years. I planned to move to Hua Hin but then got a job here at Bandon Hospital and decided to stay as I like it here, it is easy to get everywhere from here and also my wife wanted to stay as she is a Pediatrician.
What kind of surgeries do you do here?
On the island we have many kinds of work, most common is trauma, facial, abdominal. It can be simple or major but the main operations are emergency cases.
What do you do on a day to day basis?
If there are no operations then my schedule is to go to the ward and look after the in-patients then from 9 to 5 I stand by in emergency. If there is a surgical case then a doctor will replace me there.
What happens in the ER room?
We have accidents come in and we will take care of the patient, check the wounds, check for infections and see if they can fly if they are a tourist.
The doctors have told us that most common cases are accidents, what can people do to stay safe?
People don’t have driving licenses, not just Thai ones but even in their own country and on Koh Samui and these islands you need to be more skilled to drive as the roads are narrow and sandy.
It’s easy to slip and people really should wear a helmet at all times whereas less than 50% of people do. People rent a bike and then in ten seconds they have had a crash, this upsets people as then they cannot travel more.
My recommendation is that you don’t need a motorbike here, only if you are a really experienced and have a license as if you don’t then your insurance may not cover an accident.
What is special about Bandon Hospital?
Bandon was the first private hospital in Samui, the owner tells me that when there was just bungalows here there was just this hospital but now with all the five star resorts there are more hospitals of course.
Bandon doesn’t just take care of tourist but also locals and people who have moved to work here.
We are not unreasonable, I am impressed actually, if you come into ER for an accident and even if you have no ID on you then you will still get the treatment which could save your life then afterwards we can sort and check it all.
We have lovely staff with international doctors, a gynecologist and we are a small hospital but with all the specialists including a part time Orthopedic doctor.
What are your plans for the future?
I have planned to study more, cosmetic surgery, but maybe not this year. We did have doctor Choom Chok who was famous here for plastic surgery but he passed away before I came. I would still like to study this though.
And what do you enjoy about Samui in your free time?
Now I have a small baby who is one year old so I finish work and take care of my child then have time to exercise.
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