Retirement in 2019

Mark

tel522 wroteThe problem is ,the "golden hour" of intervention if something bad happens , you are always going to face the lottery of indonesian healthcare , you can have the most expensive all "singing and dancing" policy ,but the initial potentially life saving treatment will always be local. That is the reality of our choice to live here .

This is true. In case of a heart attack, stroke or serious accident the emergency care is not likely to be at an international standard though there are some good emergency physicians here so it's not completely hopeless. However, this vulnerabiliy makes the preventative, annual checkups all the more important. There are no doubt loads of ticking time bombs walking around, for example heavy smokers and drinkers with undiagnosed high blood pressure, heart issues, or diabetes. Getting an annual screening can be a lifesaver, and can also catch nasties like cancer early before they metastasize and cause life threatening complications. In case one does survive the so-called 'golden hour' then a medivac flight to Singapore paid for by insurance would also come in very handy in terms of life extension.

SquarePeg

Mark wroteThis is true. In case of a heart attack, stroke or serious accident the emergency care is not likely to be at an international standard though there are some good emergency physicians here so it's not completely hopeless. However, this vulnerabiliy makes the preventative, annual checkups all the more important. There are no doubt loads of ticking time bombs walking around, for example heavy smokers and drinkers with undiagnosed high blood pressure, heart issues, or diabetes. Getting an annual screening can be a lifesaver, and can also catch nasties like cancer early before they metastasize and cause life threatening complications. In case one does survive the so-called 'golden hour' then a medivac flight to Singapore paid for by insurance would also come in very handy in terms of life extension.

I have a mate here who's life has been saved once, possibly twice this year. The emergency triage was wonderful, and the prompt corrective surgery afterwards unflawed. I think people need to update their knowledge and assessment of the level of emergency care in Bali.

tel522

Im happy to hear of your friends good treatment here , thankfully iv never needed to test the emergency triage . My only contact has been with dental ,which has been extremely variable ,with regard to skill level and equipment . Unfortunately I have had acquaintances here, whom have paid the ultimate price for fairly simple procedures , including 1 with a fatal mistake during the anethestic procedure .

SquarePeg

Sorry to hear of the mistakes happening, although I also have stories of that in Australia. Friends and family only have excellent dental stories here in the last couple of years or so, and paid for all or some of their holiday with the savings. Fingers crossed each of us does not need anything healthwise for a long time, no matter where we are :)

cheynewalk

As has been stated above many expats tend to come here at the "wrong end" of their lives. At a time when health care becomes an important issue, they leave the very countries that provide the best quality care (usually free). You have to hope, that for anything serious you can manage to hobble onto a plane and get to singapore or australia. And of course that doesn't even cover the high costs of care over here.

Tezza71

Well guys, having asked the question it’s good to get a broad range of input. Squarepe.g your comment above goes some way toward allaying my concerns re medical care. Would your mate have had to pay out for his treatment. I guess thats a bit of a silly question really as the Indonesian medical system isn’t free later ke in Australia although it can be damned expensive here too.

dav733

Tezza, you might want to check out these guys...http://www.globality-health.com/en/

God that's a hard website to navigate,gave up in the end,,thanks anyway

dav733

cheynewalk wroteAs has been stated above many expats tend to come here at the "wrong end" of their lives. At a time when health care becomes an important issue, they leave the very countries that provide the best quality care (usually free). You have to hope, that for anything serious you can manage to hobble onto a plane and get to singapore or australia. And of course that doesn't even cover the high costs of care over here.

Sorry don't like the Wrong End Of their lives,,,!!!

Tezza71

dav733 wroteSorry don't like the Wrong End Of their lives,,,!!!

I have to concur with that statement Dav733. It's not the wrong end of our lives just the time in our lives when everything starts to make some sense. How many have asked what is life all about. Well I can tell you from my point of view that life is about living and not working to live. When retirement comes it has been be the best time of our lives. No more kids to look after, no more having to get up at sparrows to work for the man. Boy am I looking forward to it!!!!!

dav733

Tezza71 wroteI have to concur with that statement Dav733. It's not the wrong end of our lives just the time in our lives when everything starts to make some sense. How many have asked what is life all about. Well I can tell you from my point of view that life is about living and not working to live. When retirement comes it has been be the best time of our lives. No more kids to look after, no more having to get up at sparrows to work for the man. Boy am I looking forward to it!!!!!

dav733

Unfortunately like most I guess ,,marriage ,kids,career are there early in our life,,,had been going to and loving Bali for 30 plus years,,now its time to enjoy ,,hope it all works as I plan,,divorced ,so would like to find nice Bali woman,,

Tezza71

dav733 wroteUnfortunately like most I guess ,,marriage ,kids,career are there early in our life,,,had been going to and loving Bali for 30 plus years,,now its time to enjoy ,,hope it all works as I plan,,divorced ,so would like to find nice Bali woman,,

That sounds kind of familiar mate. It's my intention to try and follow that line of thinking. I'm coming over in February on a fact finding mission. Still working just now so only coming for a 2 week vacation. Would be good to catch up over a beer perhaps. I'm going to be staying at a place in Sanur , Inna Sindhu. not sure how to PM on here so I won't give you all the info just yet.

dav733

Tezza71 wroteThat sounds kind of familiar mate. It's my intention to try and follow that line of thinking. I'm coming over in February on a fact finding mission. Still working just now so only coming for a 2 week vacation. Would be good to catch up over a beer perhaps. I'm going to be staying at a place in Sanur , Inna Sindhu. not sure how to PM on here so I won't give you all the info just yet.

That sounds good..i am over again 3 rd feb for a month ..still work occasionally here .builder..

Tezza71 wroteThat sounds kind of familiar mate. It's my intention to try and follow that line of thinking. I'm coming over in February on a fact finding mission. Still working just now so only coming for a 2 week vacation. Would be good to catch up over a beer perhaps. I'm going to be staying at a place in Sanur , Inna Sindhu. not sure how to PM on here so I won't give you all the info just yet.

I will be there in Feb as well,arrive 3rd ,,always stay Sanur my favourite part,,Inna grand ,just up the beach from Inna Sindhu,,yep chat over a beer sounds good,, Dave

Tezza71

dav733 wroteThat sounds good..i am over again 3 rd feb for a month ..still work occasionally here .builder.. I will be there in Feb as well,arrive 3rd ,,always stay Sanur my favourite part,,Inna grand ,just up the beach from Inna Sindhu,,yep chat over a beer sounds good,, Dave

Name's Terry as if you hadn't probably guessed that already mate. I arrive 13th Feb. One way or another we'll catch up for a beer.

Tezza71

SquarePeg wroteI disagree with your assessment of emergency care in Bali - "down south" in particular. I had two mates lives saved in emergency circumstances in 2018 - both the Sanur and Siloam hospitals were top class. Another had a stroke, and the golden hour was exactly when the hospital responded and resolved his situation. I would certainly also support doing the annual screening - all of my friends may have avoided their crises if they had been doing these.

This is really good to hear. As I said at the beginning of my posts my one major concern with retiring to Bali is the medical care. If this post is anything to go by then maybe my concern should be somewhat allayed.

hermit

I got a newsletter from my (Dutch) embassy yesterday that states that as per january first 2019 every resident in Indonesia is obliged to join the BPJS.That means that anyone on a Kitas or Kitap should join. If it is correct,that is good news.

tel522

As far as I understand at the moment ,only working and married kitas/kitap holders can join bpjs ,if its true for pension kitas holders can join ,that will be good news indeed .

SquarePeg

Mark wroteThis is true. In case of a heart attack, stroke or serious accident the emergency care is not likely to be at an international standard though there are some good emergency physicians here so it's not completely hopeless. However, this vulnerabiliy makes the preventative, annual checkups all the more important. There are no doubt loads of ticking time bombs walking around, for example heavy smokers and drinkers with undiagnosed high blood pressure, heart issues, or diabetes. Getting an annual screening can be a lifesaver, and can also catch nasties like cancer early before they metastasize and cause life threatening complications. In case one does survive the so-called 'golden hour' then a medivac flight to Singapore paid for by insurance would also come in very handy in terms of life extension.

I disagree with your assessment of emergency care in Bali - "down south" in particular. I had two mates lives saved in emergency circumstances in 2018 - both the Sanur and Siloam hospitals were top class. Another had a stroke, and the golden hour was exactly when the hospital responded and resolved his situation. I would certainly also support doing the annual screening - all of my friends may have avoided their crises if they had been doing these.

harryopal

The opposite to terrible medical expertise in Indonesia seems to the notion of excellent medical care in western countries. While the overall quality of medical care and expertise in western countries is probably better it is not as if great mistakes and mishaps do not occur there either. Some hospitals are notorious for golden staph and infection rates. "Clinical mishaps have been linked to the deaths of more than one patient a week at Perth’s public hospitals. Figures from the annual reports of the four metropolitan health services, tabled in State Parliament this week, reveal 58 clinical incidents contributed to the deaths of patients in 2016-17. Another 140 incidents were linked to serious harm in patients, and another 71 incidents contributed to moderate or minor harm." In recent years there has been an enormous growth in needless procedures such as knee replacements. "Many patients are having procedures in Australian hospitals 'for no benefit whatsoever', according to new research. The Grattan Institute estimates that 16 people a day are getting treatments that are either unnecessary or don't work. In some cases they may even cause harm." Tuesday, 27 February, 2018 Research in a major Australian hospital has found that 30% of cannulas given to emergency department patients are not required, and that reducing the number of needles used in emergency could ultimately save the nation’s healthcare system more than $13 million every year." I have heard several emminent urologists saying men were being panicked into unnecessary prostate procedures which leave men impotent, incontinent and depressed. It was asserted most of these conditions could be managed without surgery. That said one then needs to look critically at where and when we are to receive medical treatment. I know an expatriate here in Bali who had a motor bike accident and was admitted to a local hospital. He was urged by a friend to return to Aus immediately for treatment for a massively shattered ankle. The luckless fellow didn't take the advice and stayed at the hospital. An infection developed and he lost most of his right leg below the knee.

Mark

SquarePeg wroteI disagree with your assessment of emergency care in Bali - "down south" in particular. I had two mates lives saved in emergency circumstances in 2018 - both the Sanur and Siloam hospitals were top class. Another had a stroke, and the golden hour was exactly when the hospital responded and resolved his situation. I would certainly also support doing the annual screening - all of my friends may have avoided their crises if they had been doing these.

Glad to hear that your mates' experiences were positive. My comments about the state of the healthcare system in Indonesia are based on over 17 years' of healthcare operations experience in Southeast Asia- I know many of the companies, their managements, the quality of their doctors, diagnostic capabilities etc.. The overall situation in Indonesia is improving, but for me it's still not good enough in Bali. A late forum member, Davita, and I had an offline conversation about this very issue. As written here and elsewhere he had his cancer surgery at Siloam Bali under the direction of a local doctor. At no point during treatment did the doctor insist on a PET-CT scan, which is gold standard for seeing if the cancer has been eliminated post surgery, radiotherapy, chemo etc. I recommended that he get one, in Singapore if necessary. Finally, when he did it in Jakarta, a long year later, his cancer had already metastisized to his liver, and the countdown timer started. Had he been treated more professionally in Singapore or Malaysia, the outcome may have been different. Anyway, to each their own. Assess and assume your own risks.

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