Health & Wellness Experience at Holy Child Hospital

Above the Mercury Drug in Daro.

They have a weird payment system if you pay by the quarter. When you sign up you pay for the quarter, even if you are in the first day or last day. The next quarter that come up is the same, you can pay in advance or the first day or last day and you seem to be covered for that whole quarter too. I believe something are not covered the first quarter, so always keep you payments made up to date, whatever that means. It is a confusing system but for 600 P a quarter, it seems to pay off at times.

 

Go to the Phil Health Office, next door to Mercury Drug Store in Daro/Claytown.

 

I know someone who very recently went into Silliman for an operation (private room with very scruffy CR). The doctor seemed rather elderly and resented being asked questions by me - I am not a doctor but have well above average medical knowledge. After the operation my friend had a swelling at the site of the operation and the doctor twice stated it to be post-operative swelling (the second time was 2 weeks after the operation). I totally disagreed with his diagnosis as post-op swelling would have shown signs of change within 14 days. I advised my friend to go to Holy Child and see a younger doctor - it turned out that this swelling was part of what should have originally been removed at Silliman - it was definitely NOT post-operative swelling. My friend now has to have a second operation, this time at Holy Child. When she informed the doctor at Holy Child of the post-op care regime she had been given, he indicated that it was mostly inaccurate and incomplete, with one part being harmful. He even stated that the extent of the operation performed at Silliman appeared 'old fashioned'. I became aware within seconds that he knows his stuff. He will perform the operation as an out-patient for 5K - the original 'mash up' cost 80K plus. It is usually not the hospital which is most important but the medical staff within. I rate the experience at Silliman as about 2 out of 10.

For legal reasons I will not state the name of the Silliman doctor here but am seriously worried in case anyone else uses him. If you or anyone you know is going to Silliman for general surgery then please PM me and I will simply state the name of a doctor I would find it hard to recommend.

 

On Google Maps SUMC have a rating of 3.2 and the Holy Child a rating of 2.7. Are the polymedic hospital and the ACE still under construction?

 

Yes and coming along well, but so far just shells so it will still take years to finish and outfit them.

 

i ve been treated as impatient at both hospitals, and in my expereince got far better care at holy child than at silliman.

 

Thank you for that. I may try Holy Child next time I get sick. It will happen one day.

I am also impatient and one of the things I get impatient about is not being able to get a private room. The availability of private rooms at Siliman is abysmal unless you know the right people. It was my experience that even when they have a private room available they don't give it out in case someone important is admitted in the middle of the night. How do I know this? They stuck me in a ward "waiting" for a private room to come available and about 11 PM I started freaking out and impatiently pounding on the desk saying if they don't get me a private room NOW I am walking out. . . basic impatient stuff Anyway, suddenly they found me a private room. It miraculously became available when I started making a fuss. This was 2 years ago but I doubt things have changed.

So my question is: Is it that hard to get a private room at Holy Child?

 

A few more observations about my friend's experience at Silliman. (And, btw, I read about Silliman before I came to Dumaguete, how it was about the 3rd best hospital in The Philippines and how Dumagute is planned to be a Centre for Care (I think it stated for 'end of life' and I feel they will be good at that )).

Just after admission TWO nurses arrived, one with a set of bathroom scales. They measured the patient's weight. They asked her about her height as they had no measuring device - I had a tape measure in my bag and measured her. They recorded both figures. Why it took two I have no idea. About 20 minutes later another two nurses arrived and asked "What is your weight and height?" They did not even have any bathroom scales. My first time to see a hospital 'function' here and I realised it was cr*p.

I think about 20 people entered the room to check something within the first few hours and no one seemed to know about any previous visits or recordings - I mentioned the value of a chart at the bottom of the bed but it fell on deaf ears.

The hospital lacked equipment but, even if that is understandable in a developing country, they could easily improve communication.

No medical staff used gloves at any time. We had taken in our own alcohol spray and hand-sanitiser (same thing basically) and used a careful hand hygiene routine for the watchers - better than the (lack of) routine used by medical staff! My friend was offered a sponge-bath at 5 am and the nurse-aid saw gloves my friend had brought in and used them. That was the one and only attempt to avoid cross-infection during a 3-day stay.

It has been stated often that time spent in hospitals here is excessive - I think it can also be dangerous. Better to get out asap and use a very good hygiene routine at home.

 

I guess I was lucky. Silliman saved me when I had a serious stroke, had everything needed, and looked after me in a private room. Also, my wife had a C-section when my son was born and it was flawless.

 

Perhaps the essential equipment IS there for life-threatening conditions and the best staff are employed in those units. Also, there has been a posting on DI about birth there and it was very positive - I think it is a newer section of the hospital.

Nothing anyone else says can contradict your positive experiences there but I think it depends very much on the type of medical condition and, for more general problems, the doctor the patient selected.