Self-Service Hospital

McCoco here. By now, we are getting used to the way things function in the Philippines. Things might not be super efficient, but stuff gets done. But what happens in life and death situations? What if you get sick and need to go to the hospital?

Actually, there are some fancy facilities here that are enjoyed by the upper class, but I found myself just slightly ill and decided to try out what the everyday folks would use. I did some research that pointed me to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). It's right across the street from the posh Asian Hospital, and shares the same doctors, but the consultation is free. That's right, you can talk to a doctor and there won't be a bill. Still, I recently learned that you get what you pay for. This is the story of the self-service hospital visit.

I started out looking for a doctor early in the morning. Outpatient visits did not start until 1:00 PM, so I needed to come back after lunch. No problem.

I used the extra time to replace my "orange card". This ID card is only valid at RITM, and it's just a piece of orange paper. But without it, you can't get service.

I'd lost my orange card, and didn't think much of paying 20 pesos to get it replaced. The cashier told me to proceed across the campus to medical records for the replacement. This was a walk that I would take many times that day. Card replacement took mere seconds. They simply wrote my name and patient number, the two pieces of info I supplied, onto an orange card.

At 1:00 PM I saw a doctor and got a prescription: one injection and a set of oral meds. This is where the real fun began. I went back to the cashier to pay for the prescription. The cashier asked the pharmacy one window over about the meds. The good news was, my injection would be free. The bad news is, "no stock sir."

No stock? Come on! I need this!

Wait, the tablets are free. We have stock. The injection might be in the other pharmacy. Check there.

I went to the next building and asked their pharmacy. They don't have 250 grams, but they do have 1000. I was welcome to buy the 1000 gram size and only use 250. For this, I need a new prescription.

I returned to the doctor, who asked, "Is that okay with you?" Sure, I want to get better. I got a new prescription and had that filled. Success!

Next, I proceeded to the emergency room where the injection would be performed. The nurse welcomed me in and had my chart ready. But I needed to buy sterile water. Back to the pharmacy I went. But sterile water had a small fee, so I'd have to make another trip to the cashier. It started raining lightly, which made the walk between buildings more interesting.

With my sterile water ready, I returned to the emergency room. The nurse used my newly acquired supplies to perform a test injection in my arm.

While waiting for the test injection to start itching, burning, or swelling, I stopped by the lab to give some samples. I had a receipt proving that my lab work was already paid for, but this only got the sample kit. I needed to have a doctor collect the sample. I couldn't do it myself and neither would the lab technician who sold me the kit.

I found a doctor who would do the job, but she needed sterile gloves, which I'd have to buy. "Get size 7. Size 6.5 is too small," she said.

Back to the cashier I went, this time to pay for sterile gloves. Pharmacy #1 and pharmacy #2 both said "no stock, sir." I went to the central supply room where they only had size 6.5. These would have to do. Surprise! The gloves were 26 pesos, and my receipt only showed a payment of 10 pesos. I couldn't pay the difference there, and did not want to walk back downstairs into the rain to see the cashier. They let it slide. "Next time." Phew!

I found the doctor and got the sample taken care of. She asked if I was married, and offered to introduce me to her cousin. Sensing this was just a polite offer, I politely shrugged it off. "Next time." Then I walked the sample carefully back across the campus to the lab. By now, the rain was pouring down.

I returned to the emergency room to have the test injection reviewed. All looked good, so I got the real injection. And then came the "oh by the way".

The shot left me unable to sit or walk, let alone drive home. It hurt like a mofo. It turns out this is normal, and SOP is to observe the patient for 30 minutes. So there I was, face down with the rest of the patients. I sent about 30 text messages to CocoJoe to pass the time.

At 25 minutes I asked if I could leave, explaining that I felt fine. The nursing staff responded that I was not done yet, but if I was good enough to walk, then I could settle one last thing at the cashier window. She gave me a slip for 70 pesos. I'd already bought half the hospital piece by piece: sterile gloves, a glass vial, cotton buds... what more could there be?

I needed to pay for the needle used to do the injection. Fair enough. It was a new needle and all, which I appreciated. I limped to the cashier one last time, and made my last payment.

All in all, the ordeal cost me about $30 US dollars. That won't even buy a day's parking at some US hospitals. Furthermore, I am pleased to report that I feel fine. The next time I have something minor, I will gladly return to RITM, the self-service hospital.