In Phayao, many families have an older relative at the centre of the household while a good number of their children work in other provinces. Setting up a system of health and hospital information for the people at home is one of the most genuinely useful things family members at a distance can do.
Main hospitals in Phayao
Phayao Hospital — public
- Address: 530 Super Highway Rd, Ban Tom, Mueang Phayao 56000
- Phone: 054-409-300
- Map: Open in Google Maps
Caring for parents from a distance: the system to set up
- Important numbers on the wall. Write Phayao Hospital's number, 1669, and the family's numbers in large print somewhere easy to see at home, in case an older relative or a neighbour has to make the call themselves.
- A medication and history file. Keep the list of regular medicines, existing conditions and drug allergies in a single envelope that can be picked up and taken to the hospital immediately.
- An agreed person to take them. Agree within the family, or with a close neighbour, who can take them to hospital in an urgent case and how the initial costs will be handled.
- Appointments the family can follow. Note their medical appointments in your own phone's calendar and call ahead as a reminder, so treatment continues without missed visits.
Notes for policyholders
- Call to check, or notify your insurer and arrange a fax claim, before travelling — particularly for treatment that can be scheduled.
- Public hospitals generally accept universal coverage and social security entitlements under each scheme's conditions. Most older people use universal coverage, so check that the registered service unit matches where they actually live.
- If you have arranged health insurance for your parents, ask the company in advance about the conditions and its network hospitals in Phayao, and keep the policy number both at your parents' home and with you. (Health insurance premiums paid for parents can also be claimed as a tax deduction, subject to conditions.)
Note: addresses and phone numbers can change. Please call the hospital to confirm before travelling, and contact them by phone or through their Facebook page directly, as public hospitals often do not reply by email.
In short
For families in Phayao, being ready on health is a small system set up once and used from then on: numbers on the wall, a medication file, an agreed person to take them, and entitlements already checked. That alone lifts a great deal of worry from family at a distance. And remember — in a critical emergency, 1669 can be called 24 hours a day.