Health & Wellness Medical experience at Silliman Hospital

My son just got out of Silliman University Medical Center Hospital and I just wanted to share our experience with those that may have to use these facilities in the future.
It was an elective surgery on my son and was scheduled a couple weeks in advance. Dr. Ozoa is the surgeon, he has operated on three family members within the last two years. No only is Dr. Ozoa a very good surgeon he is also a very nice man.

Our pediatrician is Dr. Idelle Ada-Yurong, also a very good doctor and a very nice lady.

We were in the hospital for 51 hours total. First we were in a ward because no private rooms were available. After surgery we were in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, not because my son needed the ICU but because it was more comfortable than the ward. The ward had 8 beds, all full, with one having four people in it including the patient. That is just the way Filipinos do it here. The facilities are old and worn but clean and orderly. I think the bed my son was in, by himself, was like one in the movie Godfather.

During the second day we were finally transferred to a private room in the new wing of the facility. It was very nice with a shower and a water heater.

There were some surprising things that you need to be aware of. First there is no toilet paper which is normal for the Philippines, second, when they serve the food there are no utensils, and you also provide a thermometer. There are no tray tables like they have in the states. Our little guy urinated in one of those plastic bottles and I was surprised that I was the one that had to empty the bottle. Just glad he didn’t need a bed pan. LOL If you want extra bedding such as pillows or blankets you must provide those.

When a prescription was written we had to go to the pharmacy downstairs and either pay for it then or charge it to our acct, which we had made a deposit of 20,000 pesos. When you enter the pharmacy you take a number out of the box and wait your turn, after they fill the script you take it back to the nurse and they administer the meds. There was a very nice young lady that offered her seat, which I accepted thankfully.

The total expense, including surgeon’s, pediatrician, anthesialogist fees, operating room, ICU room was 2,500 pesos per day, medication, tubing and all misc items was 85,516 pesos. At current exchange The cost in US is $1,904.16. Which we paid in full and had to give the receipt to the guard in order to exit the hospial.

Under the circumstances is was a good experience. Overall we are very pleased with the Doctors and Hospital and staff. We were treated with typical Filipino kindness and respect.

Your Mileage May Vary

 

" There were some surprising things that you need to be aware of. First there is no toilet paper which is normal for the Philippines, second, when they serve the food there are no utensils, and you also provide a thermometer. There are no tray tables like they have in the states. Our little guy urinated in one of those plastic bottles and I was surprised that I was the one that had to empty the bottle. Just glad he didn’t need a bed pan. LOL If you want extra bedding such as pillows or blankets you must provide those. "

You have to ask for and buy an "Admission Pack" to get things like utensils and toilet paper. Things like thermometers and bedpans are provided (and they bill you for them) if you ask for them. Your experience sounds similar to mine of one month ago except that my partner (who was my 'watcher') came down with chicken pox 2 days after my stay in SMC. There did not seem to be a lot being done to prevent spread of disease between patients, staff, watchers and visitors. God help us if Ebola arrives here.

 

Actually Dave I was not aware of the Admission Pack. Hospitals, here or there are notorious for spreading disease.

 

I only found out about the 'admissions pack' because I asked where are the utensils and tp LOL. That's when the 'volunteered' the info.

 

One good thing is to get a PhilHealth card. It covered 50% of hospitalisation costs. Doesn't cost much. But the good thing is they can't salt your bill, as PhilHealth will complain if there is anything abnormal about the charges.

 

One of the first things I plan on doing when I arrive there is to avail Philhealth for myself, my Wife and Daughter. I have just paid out almost $400 for Travel Insurance to cover me for my first 30 Days there upon my return. Expensive? Yes, but for now I wish to try and cover all bases...

Was the Surgery a complicated one Cletus or straight forward? I wonder because of the need to pay ahead and pay the Bill before you are allowed to leave the Hospital etc.

Bottom line; it really sounds like one needs to have a tidy slush fund put away in case of emergency... What would be a sensible 'plan ahead scenario' amount be for us older Guys? Something like 100,000P to 200,000P put into a saving account? Reason being by the time I land there my pockets will already have been turned inside out, so I am going to have to set a goal and try to start saving for 'worse case scenarios' so I am covered, more so considering I have my Wife and Daughter also to consider, and no doubt in given time, my Wife will want to have a Baby... Between being OCD and anal with knowing my 'ahead' plans are covered, it is something I would like to start planning as soon as I am back home...

 

Brian, It was a relatively simple operation. As for the payment scheme, that is the way it is done here, no pay, no play, In other words you are not getting out til you pay your bill.

BTW US hospitals now require payment of the deductible on your insurance before you are admitted.

 

We have had very good experiences with Silliman Hospital and doctors. First, my wife's C-Section birth of my son and 3 years of periodically anti-disease injections. Their non-appointment clinic system takes patience though. Finally, when I went there following my stroke they quickly identified the issues and probably saved my life. So no complaints.

 

As a by note here, there are now, quite a few Doctors that are operating their own appointment system. So no need for the early morning Queue for a number. Just to tell you two (2). my Doctor is Dr Liz Agnes T Bandoy, Another to hand is Dr T Bobbin, Both are Internal Medicine primarily but Dr Bandoy is well up on Strokes and Heart matters. Dr bobbin is well up on Pulmanary matters as well as being a Fellow of the Chest Authority of the Philippines.
The front desk can tell you of others. Of course their Charges are a little more but not out of this world.

Just a heads up on this Guys and Gals.

JP