Friday, February 14, 2014

Notes from hospital


  • The hospital gives out a neutral fragrance and thanks to that, for "the hospital smell" itself will make one feel sick
  • The ambiance makes one feel as if you are entering in a mall or a general lounge where plush sofas, resting areas along with cafe and good food is available.
  • Now to some rant, the administration is not seamless and makes the patient run from pillar to post to get admitted
  • Information on the availability of rooms is not centralized and every floor gives us a different status.Add to that the slow lit service, patients' attender will have a nice exercise before we get allotted a room
  • Wondering how such a posh hospital can have a general ward which has NO place for patient's attenders to sleep over for the night.
  • Hospital canteen serves awesome lip smacking food, just that you will have to take in the sights and smell while people who have come along with you relish different varieties of food over there as if it were a proper restaurant
  • From my previous encounter with hospitals, I've come across nurses who seem to know all 4 south Indian languages, if not fluent, atleast to some extent. But, this one had nurses who conversed only in one local language and if the patient says something in her anesthesia induced state , it went unheard. While only mother tongue seemed to come out of my mouth to  ask for help, one nurse boldly says, you either talk in kannada or there is no nurse who understands Tamil!!
  • When you ask the nurse to be slow and not apply force (be it while injecting, or while dressing up or while inspecting the stitches), they just stop their task and dial in a number and call the head nurse and complain" the patient is not allowing me to do anything"...Bah!! Does requesting to be gentle translate to not allowing, uh? Need to find in which dictionary they learn this
  • Luxury rooms have a sofa for the patients helper to sleep in.If they charge a bomb for the rent, why not provide a decent small bed for the helper. Infact., the helper is the one who needs good rest so that he/she can help the patient.
  • Rooms are AC and no windows. So, if you want fresh air and no A/C, you dont have an option.
  • While the restrooms have dental kit, shower cap, shower gel, 2 different kinds of soaps, there is a definite need for basic bucket and mug (instead a hand shower is present) . We try to go the western way, but having Indian stuff in certain places will definitely help
  • Needless to mention about insurance, the moment they know we are under insurance, costs triple. And on top of it, the hospital expects the patient to intermediate and solve the issues between the hospital and insurance company!! and what he heard was: if insurance is paying, we'll charge for 2 days, if you are paying on the spot, then, we will charge for a day and a half's room charge. 
  • All magic "paybale/non-payables" list is made and the patient is made to pay amount after a long delay and wait. Finally, after the patient is home and has time to look at the bills, finds that extra amount is charged and when we enquire the hospital they say "dont worry Mam, your money will not go anywhere ,Its safe with us." No mention of returning, if asked, as usual, a long story follows

2 comments:

  1. Hey..hope you are fine!

    Ya, hospitals fleece nowadays..my Dad was forced by a Doc to get admitted and the Doc didn't come to the hospital for 3 days..we had to keep waiting for the doc incurring room charges..

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    Replies
    1. I'm fine now, Sri, Thank you! Agreed, One of my friends was also telling a similar incident for her dad ..

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