Health & Wellness Best Posts in Thread: Tail of two hospitals

This is my experience of my latest hospitalization.
Spent six hours in SUMC ER then moved to a "Privet Room". I could not believe the condition of this room. Reminded my of a 1966 Vietnamese hospital or a 1880 USA hospital. Paint pealing, door looked like it had been kicked in a couple of times. The CR VENTED into the room, no paper or even a roller to hang it on, no toilet seat and the IV bag hooks are a length of string hanging from the ceiling with a "S" shaped wire hook at the bottom end and it was not long enough to reach the sink with out taking the IV bag in hand. NO emergency call button to get help if needed. The food was COLD like it was just removed from the refrigerator. The TV had the volume restricted so low I could not understand it. After three hours of staring at the walls, I checked myself out and the wife took me to ACE Doctor's. This was not the first time at SUMC and not the first time I had a bad experience with them either. ACE Doctor's will be my choice for a hospital from here on in. That learning experience at SUMC cost me more than 60,000.oo pesos for nine hours of training on which hospital NOT to go to. "Lesson learned." Almost forgot; the window was open and the screen was ripped open to the out side. One foot the other side of the glass was a cement wall. A different wall to stare at.

 

A year and a half ago at the start of my coronary nightmare in the SUMC ER I was told that a filipino was rejected from the ER because he could not pay. He died on the sidewalk in front of the hospital, heart attack. I learned a long time ago that if you did not have the ability to pay you were SOL as far is getting medical help here in the PI. Thank goodness my VISA credit card with a large credit limit kept the hospital doors open for me. As far as helping out with pesos. Wife paid for two cataract operations in her family. We also paid a large part of three funerals in wife's family. I also help out people I did know, before some one came asking for help. Just a couple of weeks ago I donated two vials of my "lantus insulin" to a 10 year old type 1 diabetic that is going blind because his family can't afford the medication. When the planes quit flying my shipment of lantus insulin was delayed and I had to buy it in Dumaguete at about 45 USD per vial. I told the the Barangay Council Woman that she and the kid's mother were not to tell anyone where they got the lantus insulin and insulin syringes because I did not want to here a bunch of sad stories that I was going to have to sort out trying to figure out what were real needs and what were cons. I do not do recreational drugs or smoke and I was raised up POOR and hungry so I have a very soft heart when a comes to poorer than me folks need help.
I and wife live from month to month but an awful lot of filipinos live from one meal to the next. About three years ago I gave 3000 pesos for a 5 year old that had Dungy when in fact there was nothing wrong with him. I got coned. But that did not stop me from helping others, it just made my far more cautious with my giving.

My 5 centavos

 

Yes I am on the mend, Thanks.
My experience at Holy Child has only been with the Eye Clinic and the dentist. All being good experiences.

I can not say enough about how good ACE is. It is of course a new hospital and it is very well staffed. I spent 5 days there and it cost about half of the cost of St. Luke's in Manila for the same amount of time.

 

Sadly, they don't - they just continue to suffer or they die. The Philippines government should recognise (not by awards but by a few kind words at times) what many foreigners do for the citizens of the country. My father-in-law is NOT blind because I paid for his cataract operations (and I am sure many of you can quote even greater examples) - I seek no thanks but I do not like the singling out of 'aliens' for blame in the media as if we are a scourge on the country.

 

When my husband was hospitalized (probably 2014) in SUMC for pneumonia related to his COPD, he had his own oxygen concentrator and we were given permission by his doctor to use it while he was hospitalized. We had it checked by the maintenance dept as required, etc.
Upon release from the hospital, they present your bill, which they require to be taken care of before you leave. We noticed a charge for using hospital oxygen and pointed out we needed that removed. They refused to remove it and we refused to pay it, thus they were not going to let him leave the hospital. I paid the rest of bill, minus that, and they still would not let him leave. So, when nobody was looking, we snuck out....like we were really doing something wrong....anyway, the floor nurse called the guards to stop us, like we were robbing the place. Long story short, we made it out, but you bet your buns, when it came time to get my daughter's school clearance at the end of the year, we had to pay that stupid fee!!

 

I would guess that the higher cost was due to ER which is more expensive than just a room per day... also my son was born at SUMC 3 yrs ago and was quite pleased with the experience, new room and attentive staff but your experience may vary

 

Mine was a different experience at SUMC. I was in a private room and it was new and clean, 32 inch TV, reclining bed, and yes there was toilet paper and a seat that was when I had Dengue in March, I was on a IV for 2 days.
The bill was 20,000P but phil-health paid 50%.

 

Am not certain but I think ' Shabbynomad' means 'Ever Mall'.

 

My view is a bit more extreme in that I am only bothered about the opinion of the ONE person who knows the inside of my head ... ME!