Hospital admissions

[Azbubu]

The two times I've been to the emergency room, I've been made to sit and fill in forms for atleast 15mins before I was attended to. The first time I was bleeding profusely and the second time was an allergic reaction where my entire face and hands were swollen. They see that you're bleeding from your head and that your hand is the size of a melon yet they still make you fill in & sign forms and make payments before they attend to you?

Does the welfare of the patient not come first? Why do they do this? Are they afraid that you'll run off after treatment? And this was at private hospitals so I can only imagine how the government ones are.

Or am I being too naive in thinking that hospitals primary objective is to help patients?

 

[D3x!]

lol their primary objective is to make money

if you weren't stable i assume they would help you first sign later but you obviously were stable

 

[Azbubu]

lol their primary objective is to make money

if you weren't stable i assume they would help you first sign later but you obviously were stable

Lol the fsker told me "it's ok, you can just scratch".

So they only attend to you first if you're on the brink of death?

And had to pay for parking at the hospital :wtf:

 

[unskinnybob]

lol their primary objective is to make money

Sad but true. By creating a separation between admission and doctors, I guess less doctors get sued for not acting to save a life where said life is too broke to afford medical attention.

 

[Azbubu]

Sad but true. By creating a separation between admission and doctors, I guess less doctors get sued for not acting to save a life where said life is too broke to afford medical attention.

Do hospitals really turn people away that can't afford the medical attention? I mean if I walk in there with a gunshot wound but no wallet, will they tell me to GTFO?

 

[bwana]

Do hospitals really turn people away that can't afford the medical attention? I mean if I walk in there with a gunshot wound but no wallet, will they tell me to GTFO?

A private hospital will most likely stabilise you then have you transferred to a state hospital.

 

[ponder]

Do hospitals really turn people away that can't afford the medical attention? I mean if I walk in there with a gunshot wound but no wallet, will they tell me to GTFO?

If you are not going to die soon then yes. They will call for a ambulance to take you to a government hospital. Hippocratic Oath is not worth much these days, your money is priority number one.

 

[D3x!]

A private hospital will most likely stabilise you then have you transferred to a state hospital.

this is how i understand it, if you are not stable they will take you to the closest hospital and stabilise you then transfer you

 

[w1z4rd]

When I went to hospital it kinda depends on the nature of the emergency. If its serious, I get treated quickly while my wife fills out the forms, if its not life threatening or I am not incapacitated then they get me to fill out the forms.

 

[unskinnybob]

Do hospitals really turn people away that can't afford the medical attention? I mean if I walk in there with a gunshot wound but no wallet, will they tell me to GTFO?

They absolutely will, yes. There was some media furor about a kid that was somehow injured and refused admission/treatment at several hospitals in/around Gauteng. I'll google and see if I can find the incident. Wasn't there a Carte Blanche show on the topic?

Here's one link so far: http://beta.mnet.co.za/carteblanche/Article.aspx?Id=4144&ShowId=1 Not related to the incident I'm thinking of, but of relevance.

 

[Mystic Twilight]

Unless you have a medical aid card on you identifying you as a member or have cash, you're pretty much screwed until you can pay up first. Ive heard that a family friends brother (don't know who, i was a kid then and they have since moved away) was fatally shot but managed to drive himself to a private hospital. They wouldn't admit him and treat him as he couldn't pay with his credit card for the large sum of money they required to be paid up front, because he couldn't answer the security questions and identify himself on the phone when the bank phoned his cell to check that it was him who requested the sudden large funds (fraud protection), loss of blood incapacitated him. He died at the hospital lobby.

Unless you carry large sums of buffaloes and leopards in your wallet, a medical aid membership is a must for those emergencies.

 

[unskinnybob]

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/archive/index.php/t-117731.html

Always look to Mybroadband for the answers!!

 

[SoWhat]

Private hospitals are capitalistic by heart and they should remain that way. Otherwise South Africa will have only state hospitals.

 

[wily me]

Do hospitals really turn people away that can't afford the medical attention? I mean if I walk in there with a gunshot wound but no wallet, will they tell me to GTFO?

Yes, personal experience.

 

[RustyPrincess]

this is how i understand it, if you are not stable they will take you to the closest hospital and stabilise you then transfer you

Yip. My boyfriends uncle has a heart attack, they stabilised him at a private hospital, then transferred him to a government one.

 

[ponder]

Unless you have a medical aid card on you identifying you as a member or have cash, you're pretty much screwed until you can pay up first.

Wonder what they will do with a person that is unconscious with no id on him although stable? lets assume the person actually does have medical aid and is covered.

 

[Mystic Twilight]

Wonder what they will do with a person that is unconscious with no id on him although stable? lets assume the person actually does have medical aid and is covered.

If person has his medical aid card, they can contact the family or directly admit the person if the person's choice of medical aid allows this, such as the more premium medical aid schemes or hospital plan. Otherwise, said person is pretty much screwed.