Held hostage by doctors

[GaryFifer]

Hello everyone, not been on the forum for a bit. Hope you are well. My fiancée is having a problem with paying hospital cares with her mother. She contracted TB at a public hospital in Manila when she was younger.Now since she is elderly it has become active. Currently she is St Catherine in Angeles City. This is private.

They say she is fit to go. The bill has been paid half.We have only paid 20K of the bill. So they have decided to hold her hostage in the hospital instead of letting her go out. Thus the bill is increasing everyday and making it hard for Jessica family to afford another 20K.

Well we are lucky, in UK, if we are well, we just go out. and don't pay a bean and sometimes they give us the bus fare home.

[andypaul]

I will never forget the wifes first time in A and E she was worrying what they were going to use and do in case it cost to much.

I hope your financees Mum is situation is solved soon and at least she is getting better i hope.

[GaryFifer]

Thanks for reply Andy. She is fine and should have been out early October. But the hospital staff get angry if she leaves. All she needs to do is take the antibiotics and be cared for at home.

Jessica does not need to pay bed and board for a hospital to further increase the problem. That money should be utilised to buy the antibiotics.

Incidentally..why on earth do Filipino relatives get used to pick up and buy the medicines at clinics? Surely this is bad practice.

A doctors first duty is to the patients well-being and I feel like the hospital is doing a cashectomy. Rapid liquidation of payments from the patient.

[LEAHnew]

Hi Gary i understand how you feel and yes mostly hospital doing that kind of procedure

I agree some cases they don't allow patient to go home unless they found out he/she ok to release, but if they really want to go home and the patient insisted it as well coz she feel ok. She (the patient) or the immediate family member can sign a waiver that the hospital doens't have any obligation to whatever risk happen to the patient.

Regarding to the bills I knew they can be allowed if there's someone will guarantee ( maybe one of the hospital staff, famous businessman/politician) that they can pay the balance soon, but not sure if that works on the said hospital, just tell them to try it, if will work there as well

I pray for your fiancee's mom fastest recovery

[GaryFifer]

Update- my asawa went to PCSO, who help to pay the bill 60,000peso. It seems these guys help you in trouble. Anyways we got to pay for treatment of antibiotics. Is it wrong to ask to send medicine from UK? I am wondering if i can antibiotics from my own doctor. Probably not allowed.

I already send paracetomol and ibuprofen in the mail

[PeterB]

Yes, financial assistance is often forthcoming for those with limited means. A friend, whose daughter had an appendectomy a couple of weeks ago, had the hospital bill reduced from 14,000 to just 1,000 pesos.

[GaryFifer]

I can't imagine what they do if you cannot pay for the appendectomy. Put it back in?

[andypaul]

Update- my asawa went to PCSO, who help to pay the bill 60,000peso. It seems these guys help you in trouble. Anyways we got to pay for treatment of antibiotics. Is it wrong to ask to send medicine from UK? I am wondering if i can antibiotics from my own doctor. Probably not allowed.

I already send paracetomol and ibuprofen in the mail

Can you not get paracetmol and ibuprofen in phill?

Do not send antibiotics or even hand them on to others they are prescribed drugs and you could get in to serious trouble if customs found out i would have thought.

I hope things get better soon.

[GaryFifer]

Thanks for that. Papers have been signed by 2 doctors to prove Jess mom is legit. So that meant a trip to San Fernado .

i assumed customs do not like that one. Well just a thought about ordinary ones. Purity and quality control of the production and clarity of instructions are better here.But thats just a moot point. Just sent them cos they were 99p anyways made in England.And our helpful leaflets outline things easy.