General Medical Consultation for Travelers & Expats in Thamel
Thamel Clinic provides same-day general medical consultations daily from 08:00–20:00 NPT in central Thamel, Kathmandu. Standard appointments last 25–40 minutes with an NMC-registered, English-speaking physician, cost $35–$50 USD (NPR 4,700–6,700), and include an itemized English medical report accepted by all international travel insurers.
Who Is This Service For?
- Tourists with fever, sore throat, sinus infection, bronchitis, or post-trek "Khumbu cough"
- Travelers needing acute care for urinary tract infections (UTI), ear/eye infections, or skin rashes
- Expats and digital nomads needing chronic condition follow-up or verified prescription refills
- Passengers requiring an airline Fit-to-Fly or pre-trek Fit-to-Trek medical certificate
What Happens During Your Appointment?
1. Immediate vitals & triage (blood pressure, pulse oximetry SpO2, temperature, weight) within 5 minutes of arrival.
2. Comprehensive history & physical exam in plain English with an experienced travel-medicine doctor.
3. On-site point-of-care diagnostics (rapid strep, urinalysis, CBC, CRP, dengue/typhoid) if clinically indicated — with upfront pricing before any test is run.
4. Dispensing of verified medications from our temperature-controlled clinic pharmacy with written English dosing instructions.
5. Printed + PDF stamped medical report and itemized invoice emailed immediately for your travel insurance claim.
Transparent Pricing & Turnaround Table
All fees are confirmed upfront before any laboratory test or infusion begins. Every visit includes an official stamped English ICD-10 medical report and itemized receipt for travel insurance reimbursement.
| Service / Item | USD Price | Approx. NPR | Clinical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Foreign Traveler GP Consultation | $40 USD | NPR 5,400 | Includes 30-min exam + English insurance medical report |
| Follow-Up Visit (within 7 days, same condition) | $20 USD | NPR 2,700 | Includes lab review & treatment adjustment |
| Fit-to-Fly / Fit-to-Trek Medical Certificate | $45 USD | NPR 6,000 | Includes resting/ambulatory oximetry & official stamped form |
| Expat / Long-Stay Resident Consultation | $35 USD | NPR 4,700 | With valid long-stay visa or work permit |
⚠️ When to Seek Immediate Emergency / Hospital Care
- Chest pain, severe shortness of breath at rest, or resting SpO2 below 85% in Kathmandu (1,400m)
- High fever (>39.5°C / 103°F) with neck stiffness, confusion, or non-blanching rash
- Signs of stroke, anaphylaxis, or uncontrolled bleeding — proceed immediately to 24/7 hospital ER or call 102
Before You Book — What to Have Ready
- Your passport — required for the medical report and any insurance documentation; a photo on your phone works for registration.
- Your insurance details — policy number and the insurer's 24/7 assistance line; if a GOP (guarantee of payment) is needed, it is arranged before or during the visit, not after.
- Your medication list — names, doses, and frequency of anything you take regularly, plus known allergies. Interactions are checked before anything is prescribed or administered.
- A rough timeline — when the problem started, what changed, and what you have already tried. A messy timeline told honestly beats a tidy one that skips the embarrassing parts.
- Your departure date — if you are flying, trekking, or leaving Kathmandu soon, say so at booking; it changes what gets prioritized and what gets deferred.
What This Service Does Not Include
- Hospital-level care — ICU, surgery, advanced imaging beyond our on-site capability, and overnight admission are referred to Kathmandu partner hospitals with your records transferred.
- Open-ended monitoring — if a condition needs serial checks over weeks, we set the follow-up schedule explicitly rather than leaving it vague.
- Guaranteed outcomes — we commit to the assessment, the honest answer, and the documented plan; no ethical clinic guarantees a result.
- After-hours emergency response — outside opening hours, Kathmandu emergency departments handle overnight crises; our WhatsApp line is checked at opening.
After Your Appointment — Records, Refills & Follow-Up
- You leave with documents. A stamped English ICD-10 medical report, itemized receipt, and any prescription with generic drug names — formatted for international insurers and home-country doctors.
- WhatsApp follow-up is included. A 7-day check-in window — if a symptom changes, worsens, or a question comes up, message +977-9747726036 rather than booking a second consult for something we can answer remotely.
- Refills and repeats. If a treatment course extends past your stay, we document the regimen in the report so a pharmacy or physician at your next destination can continue it — including the generic names that work across borders.
- Referral letters. If the visit revealed something that needs a specialist or a hospital, the referral letter and your records go with you — the receiving doctor reads our findings rather than starting from zero.
Cost Transparency — What the Fee Covers
The fee range for General Consultation is $35 – $50 USD (NPR 4,700 – 6,700), confirmed upfront before any test or procedure begins. That price covers the consultation itself, the documentation, and the follow-up window — laboratory tests, medications, and consumables are itemized separately so you see exactly what you are paying for. There are no surprise line items on a Thamel Clinic receipt.
Payment, Insurance & the Real Total Cost
Most General Consultation visits stay inside the quoted $35 – $50 USD range; what pushes a bill higher is add-on diagnostics or a treatment course — never hidden fees. Payment is cash, Visa/Mastercard/Amex, eSewa, or Fonepay, and insured travelers with pre-authorized coverage can often use direct insurer billing (GOP) instead of paying out-of-pocket.
Value context: the same General Consultation visit in a Western urgent-care system typically runs 3–8× the Kathmandu price, and every visit ends with the stamped ICD-10 report insurers require — documentation most international clinics charge extra for.
Currency & cash flow: the bill is issued in NPR with the USD equivalent printed on the receipt, so a reimbursement claim never argues the exchange rate. If paying out-of-pocket, card settlement lands at your bank's rate (~NPR 133 per USD); if using GOP, the guarantee covers the approved line items and any non-covered extras are quoted before they are added — the bill is never padded while you wait.
Frequently Asked Questions: General Consultation
Do I need to book in advance or can I walk in?
Walk-ins are welcome every day between 08:00 and 20:00 NPT. Booking online reserves a specific 30-minute slot so your wait time is under 5 minutes.
Will I receive paperwork for my travel insurance claim?
Yes. Every consultation includes a stamped English medical report with ICD-10 diagnosis codes, clinical findings, prescriptions, and an itemized official receipt.
Can you refill my regular prescription from home?
Yes, for non-controlled maintenance medications (blood pressure, thyroid, asthma inhalers, SSRIs, insulin, oral contraceptives). Bring a photo of your home prescription or medication box.