Are you healthier enough to live in the PI's

[Jollygoodfellow]

The general consensus from members is the Philippines hospital system is useless but I disagree. It depend on where you live as to what can be done for you.

Lets remember former admin MikeB. Head on while on a motorbike on a highway with a truck on the wrong side of the road. Yes sure could have been fatal anywhere in the world but after he was scooped up and hospitalised he was taken care of and a full recovery. 

No, nothing to do with heart problems but some hospitals are the same as first world where the treatments will be the same unless you live in the jungle and a hospital has nothing except a pretty nurse for show.

If you know you have pre existing conditions choose where to live while in the Philippines. 

[Dave Hounddriver]

48 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Lets remember former admin MikeB . . .

. . . . had great insurance and a healthy bank balance as that hospital bill was over 2 Million pesos almost a decade ago.

When a good Philippine hospital sees you coming with buckets of cash then they bend over backwards to treat you well. Some Philippine hospitals even do a good job with only small buckets of cash.  Very few Philippine hospitals do a good job if you are on the kind of budget that members of this forum often mention.  This is all my opinion based on observation of others in Philippine hospitals, and observation of those hospitals via first hand experience.  Have you been in the hospital here JGF?  I am wondering why the praise you give them.  I mean its not like I died in there so I cannot say they are not that bad.  Hmmm, but many others I know did die in Philippine hospitals so I cannot say they are that good.

[Gary D]

Agreed some hospitals can be good, the real killer is the emergency response. 

[Mike J]

3 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Hmmm, but many others I know did die in Philippine hospitals so I cannot say they are that good.

But then again, isn't it true that many people die in the hospital for every country in the world?  After all they go there because of serious injury or illness.   I think the biggest problem for health care here in the Philippines is that lack of adequate emergency care if you are away from the larger cities.  Like Moalboal where I live, but this is where I want to live.  And I expect to also die here, hopefully with no regrets, because I don't want to spend my final years in a big city. 

[RBM]

From my not inconsiderable hospital experience here I fully understand why most wealthy locals seek treatment in Thailand or Singapore. 

Having said this i have also been pleasantly surprised with some treatments how ever a minority.

[Tommy T.]

If you happen to live in Manila and don't mind spending more money than locals, St. Lukes Medical Center is state of the art with talented and qualified doctors. Supposedly there will be another branch of that hospital constructed here in the next few years. I hope so. Asian Hospital Medical Center is also first rate. But then you have the issue of needing to live in that city to avail those services. I see that as maybe a better and cheaper option than flying to another country for treatment?

There are a few "hospitals" I have seen around here that look like if you were admitted for illness or injury, you might well come out in worse shape than when you went in - if you come out alive at all!

I was treated at a clinic/hospital on Samal Island several years ago after I was in a motorcycle crash. After I limped into the admitting center and was bleeding on their check-in desk, I actually received excellent attention and prompt and quality treatment. Most "patients" there seemed to be suffering from colds or flu. Maybe I was treated better because I happened to be wearing one of my surgical scrub shirts that I favour in this hot climate?

Edited October 22, 2019 by Tommy T.

[Jollygoodfellow]

On 10/22/2019 at 5:50 AM, Dave Hounddriver said:

Have you been in the hospital here JGF?

I have not been admitted to a hospital here but been in one a few times. My GF was in for 3 or 4 days and I seen the care was good. Yes paid for by insurance.

My dislocated arm was fixed without problem but I know you are talking about magor stuff.

On 10/22/2019 at 5:50 AM, Dave Hounddriver said:

but many others I know did die in Philippine hospitals so I cannot say they are that good.

Gee I see botched surgery or medical stories in the news all the time from all over the first world countries. 

[Gary D]

2 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

 

Gee I see botched surgery or medical stories in the news all the time from all over the first world countries. 

Yes but in first world countries you can sue.

[Viking]

2 hours ago, Gary D said:

Yes but in first world countries you can sue.

That will not help you if you are already dead 

[Mike J]

16 hours ago, Gary D said:

Yes but in first world countries you can sue.

That is one of reasons for the higher cost of health care.  As a patient you pay part of the the cost for any lawsuits.  The higher the awards, the higher the premium, the higher the cost for care. 

https://careertrend.com/how-much-do-doctors-pay-for-insurance-13656771.html

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Insurance costs vary dramatically, with one of the biggest factors being the state in which a doctor practices. State laws, policies and court history affect insurance premiums. For example, in 2009, My Medical Malpractice Insurance reported that obstetricians in California paid between $30,000 and $40,000, depending on the insurance company, while most obstetricians in New York paid upwards of $100,000, with some policies quoting rates at nearly $200,000.

<end clip>

Implied within your post was the belief that you cannot sue in the Philippines?  You can sue in the Philippines for medical malpractice, but I am sure that any awards would be more in line with the Philippine economy and standard of living as opposed to other countries.  I would not expect to see any awards here for hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars.  Goggle "Philippine medical malpractice" and you find websites for attorneys and also news articles about lawsuits.