Avice on hospital fees please

[David House]

Hi All

I would appreciate some advice. We are currently in the UK, but plan
to be in Cebu in October. One of Connie's nieces, of whom we are
particularly fond, has recently become progressively sick, firstly
with bad headaches, then epilepsy and after a CT scan with a brain
abscess. The whole surrounding circumstances are particularly tragic.
The young lady is just 18 years old and is presently in hospital in
Osamis, Mindanao.
We have been told that the abscess needs to be "drained" and the cost
of this falls on us. We have been quoted a price, which seems hugely
over the top, when compared with other procedures.
We realise that no-one can be really sure, without being either a
doctor or involved in her case, but does anyone have any "ball park"
figure to guide us as to what might be reasonable? Without going into
detail the potential exists, due to the particular circumstances, of
us being scammed by various involved parties.
We might also consider moving her to Cebu. If so where would people
recommend and again what would a "ball-park" cost be for such an
operation?
Clearly time is of the essence for the young lady. She is responding
well to anti-biotics, which is a relief because it was at first
feared that she had a brain tumour. To further complicate her life
her father died last week and her mother has not been around since
she was 3.

Regards

David

[joebloggs]

i just asked me misses, she said depends on who's doing it and where, privately maybe btw 60-80k by an ordinary surgeon, and probably 100k+ for a neurosurgeon. but her prices could be on the low side, as she's not worked in the phils as a doc for 3 years..

[keithAngel]

Since you mention and are quite right that "medical costs" is an area for scammers to operate my suggestion would be to ask for the hospital to contact you direct via email and to have the current bills also scanned over direct from the hospital

Ask for the name via the family of the accounts administrator and the names of the attending doctors as you can then ring the hospital direct and check them out

In Cebu the "Doctors Hospital" is well recomended amongst ex pats here is a link to neurology area code for cebu is prefixed 32

http://www.cebudoctorshospital.com/doctors/doctors21.html

[David House]

Thanks for the replies so far. Yes, we are already in contact with the hospital but inevitably have trouble in getting through to the "right" people. Thanks Joe for your wife's advice, that is very helpful indeed. I know the Cebu Doctors Hospital as we had an Aunt go in there a couple of years back. The potential scamming in this case comes from extended family members having "connections" in the hospital and, being totally unscrupulous, seeing an opportunity to fleece the rich guy when time is of the essence in getting the treatment done.

[PeterB]

We recently organised treatment for Ruby's Uncle. As a result of a motorbike accident, he had a bleed in the artery behind the eye, causing disturbed vision, a very swollen eye, severe headaches etc. One neurosurgeon quoted us P400,000, inclusive of hospital bills etc.

Another, using a simpler procedure, 'only' required P250,000.

I can recommend a consultation with the surgeon we used - he is based in Davao, Mindanao. He seems to be candid, honest and caring.