⌛ Best hospital?

Doctors & Specialists

Why do not we then create a database on which doctors are reputable and competent, in which field of medicine, hospital they work, fees they charge and which personal experience brought us to give the rating, possibly abstaining from giving good scoring because of personal favours, friends, lovers....???
I can only guess it would be appreciated by the forum members.
By the way, is the staff turnover high when it comes to doctors as it is with nurses?

 

It has been pointed out to me by a forum member that the spacious rooms do not matter. Well, it is good for those who can afford private rooms in HC but in SUMC even the ward rooms are spacious and have their own CR and telephone. I think that matters because it speaks of the convenience to the patient. Of course, that only comes in second but I still wanted to point that out.

Our family had always trusted SUMC (it's SMC now) and there are doctors who are good. Take Dr. Udarbe, he is our family doctor (and his wife, too) who is very competent and good. Maybe there are of new doctors in SUMC and they might not be the best but I still prefer the service here.

Things have changed over the years. HC has become huge and weird in structure. A little niece was hospitalized just last week on the third floor of HC and we had to walk up some very weird looking walkways which resemble the steel domestic airport terminal planks at the Manila airport. Then we reached a place which seems to be a dead end but you had to turn right and see the new nurse's station. The room was a private one but it had very small bathrooms and very limited space plus the room is dimly lighted. I think the room still matters for one's well being.

I have never said that these are top priority. But with doctors leaving for the US and fewer seasoned ones left behind, the rooms become more and more of a criteria to consider. Just my two cents. This is not meant as a personal attack against HC or the poster who pointed it out to me

 

Union Jack: "Why do not we then create a database on which doctors are reputable and competent, in which field of medicine, hospital they work, fees they charge and which personal experience brought us to give the rating, possibly abstaining from giving good scoring because of personal favours, friends, lovers....???
I can only guess it would be appreciated by the forum members."

I think that is an EXCELLENT idea. I would greatly appreciate having such a database.

 

Sure that is a great thing to have !!!
But who is/are going to fill such a database ?
Of course .... the ones who are here in Dumaguete (and surrounding) :D .
A database is nice but the usability all depends on the correctness of the input.
If it's filled by people who use different criteria and without having a clear scoring description it will end up similarly like personal judgements of restaurants/food.
And this (doctors/hospitals) will be far more difficult.
Remember also that a good judgement is most likely only possible after several contacts with that same doctor/ hospital by the same person who judges.
But I won't stop anybody who starts to organise a reliable database.
I believe that it's more practical/realistic to ask for the reputation of a certain doctor or hospital (ask to send answers by PM if 'sensible") and read the respective threads.

 

any updates on the database?

 

I was admitted to holy charge oops I mean child got a huge bill and they did not much but waste my time.A week!.Ended up going to Cebu. SMC is also famous for overservicing anyhow skintax is skintax no matter which one you choose oh yeah same thing happened at Perpetual Succour. I was recommended To go there by the hospital here, DUH!!! I went. Sometimes I think I'll never learn. Anyhow Cebu Doctors was Great and Chung Hua Extremely clean

 

.... you don't wanna hang half dead ( like a fever or a pimple on the butt) over the fence of any hospital in dumguete... sorry to offend some people, just some experience over the last 4 years... and on top the hospital which celebrates itself how great they are... there is not even a proper cardiologist in Duma, but Millions of peso for "aniversary celebrations" and blocking the streets with that crap...

 

hospitals

The advice given above about going to Manila for a hospital is a good one. You do have the option there in chosing a doctor. Some are trained at very good universities in the US.

My girlfriend was in Silliman (the old wing), in a private room. The room was dirty and the bathroom was filthy with cob webs all over it. Nobody used rubber gloves even when giving needles. You take your in my opinion at that hospital. I personally would never go there unless it was an emergency.

I visited a friend lately at Holy Cross and the private rooms there were really clean.

 

Just had a chance to visit the new SMC building. Sorry but wasn't able to take pictures of the lobby. The flat screen TV showing the Doctor's Rooms and number being served makes it a bit convenient.

 

Medicare

Apart from choosing the right hospital or doctor, there is also the issue of the charges to pay to hospitals as they charge different fees for operation, hospital bed, doctor fee .....
Another matter, and one which I care for in particular, is to know which medicare cover, if any, is offered to foreigners. Travel insurance is ok if staying in the Philippines for a short spell, but what if one is staying long term, years for example. I believe the US government is negotiating some kind of medicare system for its expats but I'm not aware of any such talks for expats of other nationalities. If someone was to retire in the Philippines and survive on a meagre pension and not having the financial means to pay for a medical bill, what then?
I believe medicare is offered to filipino goverment's employees only but a filipino expat here in the UK was telling me that he was covered by a medicare policy as he had bought shares in one. Any comments on this?