Can this be the accepted ethics in our Hospitals?

Nov 27, 2012 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
The general public should be warned of the real danger they face when seeking the “best” medical treatment when ill.
Our Domestic, a 39-year-old woman, “took in” at about 2 to 3 a.m. on Sunday. Symptoms: Vomiting and Diarrhoea. Her young niece, who lives with her, decided to rush her Aunt to Hospital to get some medicine to stop the symptoms. In this case one of the “best”. This happened around 9 to 10 a.m. Sunday.
She went as an “out patient” and in her sick frightened state was intimidated by the doctor into thinking that there was something more serious wrong with her than just Diarrhoea and Vomiting. She had no mature adult with her to put things into perspective, hence in my opinion was conned into believing that she had to have a barrage of tests. This is despicable, but it happened on Sunday 25th November, 2012, in Georgetown.
We were called at about 10.30 a.m. as the $25,000 lodged by the Domestic was not enough to cover the tests and she was told she should lodge and additional $25,000. It seemed exorbitant for what appeared to be a case of gastroenteritis or food poisoning. We went to the Hospital immediately.
At the Hospital we learnt the patient had already been subjected to 25 different tests, among them a $10,000 Ultrasound. This is marvelous work done, and costs money. In fact for all the treatment, consultation and accommodation etc., the total charge at that hospital was $49,050. Not bad for a 3 to 4-hour visit, which in our opinion could have been settled at the “out patient” level.
Frankly, in my opinion, (I know I am not a doctor), the patient should never have gone to that hospital. It may be that the medical work done was overkill by an incompetent doctor who could not make a simple diagnosis. The doctor charged $8,000 and ordered all 25 tests including the $10,000 Ultrasound, even though the patient told him that she knew that she was not pregnant. The doctor should ask the patient if she wants his opinion or would like to have tests at a cost of x dollars. If it is the Hospital’s policy to have all these tests done, then a nurse could handle the matter. Something should be done to protect low income patients from needless tests, especially in a country where Diarrhoea and Vomiting are not uncommon and seem to have reached epidemic proportions at this very minute.
When I insisted that the patient be discharged immediately, my request was met with hostility. The bills had to be paid. Okay so where are the test results? The reply – you cannot have the results until tomorrow! Okay I’m not paying for tests without results, so please call Security as we are leaving with the patient now. The results were produced in three minutes. It was such a blatant attempt to have the patient stay another day.
The patient only had two out of 25 results which were out of the normal range. Chloride 98>107 Reference Range; Result – 11.1. Lymphocytes 17-48% Reference Range; Result – 5.6%. The remaining Tests/Procedures, all 23, proved normal.
Can this be the accepted ethics in our Hospitals?
John Willems

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