Pi Worries For A Expat

[Singers]

I worried. We had a emergency when Father-in-Law was ill. It took 40 minutes to get him to hospital. The Duty Doctor was examining him in 5 minutes. My Consultant there in 20.Father stabelised and preped for early morning Op. 1/2 hour.... in Tacloban.Time inc travel 1 hour 5 minute.I have given anguished thought to my "dilemma" about the 3rd.. World response if I had a emergency while living in the boondocks..??DO NOT WORRY ANY BRITS. 72 minutes ago I rang for a Medic/Ambulance. Nothing yet. 7 ringBacks from "staff" ... The Dr deputizing service will ring back "within 30 minutes".Not for me..My Rhodesian pal is in agony... here 4 a week. NOW 1 hour 20min. AGONY..2 years ago I called Emergency -- they were here in 7 SEVEN minutes. Cristina was able to talk with a Doctor from the outset and he reassured her..They just rang us asking for address & details again...1 hour 25 minutes.Brits -- You will not miss the OLD NHS service -- BECAUSE -- it has GONE.Embrace PI and if a emergency occurs consider - this - here in PI , I am no worse off.NHS Direct just rang?? now 1 hour 30 and the call was from Nottingham ?? 100 miles away and said ring another number.???Still waiting now 1 hour 40 minutes.!!!TomPS The Dr. just rang... could I give Peter some of my "stronger" medication? "NO - I said - not my responsibility! I have prescribed Morphine. SO I give him my meds and complications arise and I am in the sh&t. Then try to find the Madras Doctor who instructed me to medicate my pal.?They will call in perhaps 2 hours...Visit, I hope. now 2 hours. from 1st call by me to NHS... therefore 4 hours possibly from 1st. phone call.???

Edited February 6, 2010 by Singers

[Jollygoodfellow]

I worried. We had a emergency when Father-in-Law was ill. It took 40 minutes to get him to hospital. The Duty Doctor was examining him in 5 minutes. My Consultant there in 20.Father stabelised and preped for early morning Op. 1/2 hour.... in Tacloban.Time inc travel 1 hour 5 minute.I have given anguished thought to my "dilemma" about the 3rd.. World response if I had a emergency while living in the boondocks..??DO NOT WORRY ANY BRITS. 72 minutes ago I rang for a Medic/Ambulance. Nothing yet. 7 ringBacks from "staff" ... The Dr deputizing service will ring back "within 30 minutes".Not for me..My Rhodesian pal is in agony... here 4 a week. NOW 1 hour 20min. AGONY..2 years ago I called Emergency -- they were here in 7 SEVEN minutes. Cristina was able to talk with a Doctor from the outset and he reassured her..They just rang us asking for address & details again...1 hour 25 minutes.Brits -- You will not miss the OLD NHS service -- BECAUSE -- it has GONE.Embrace PI and if a emergency occurs consider - this - here in PI , I am no worse off.NHS Direct just rang?? now 1 hour 30 and the call was from Nottingham ?? 100 miles away and said ring another number.???Still waiting now 1 hour 40 minutes.!!!TomPS The Dr. just rang... could I give Peter some of my "stronger" medication? "NO - I said - not my responsibility! I have prescribed Morphine. SO I give him my meds and complications arise and I am in the sh&t. Then try to find the Madras Doctor who instructed me to medicate my pal.?They will call in perhaps 2 hours...Visit, I hope. now 2 hours. from 1st call by me to NHS... therefore 4 hours possibly from 1st. phone call.???

Its one of those risks you take living outside a major city,not just in the Philippines but anywhere. Probably if you know you have life threatening illness its best to stay close such as history of heart problems etc.I read on a yahoo group once where some one had a medical emergence out in the sticks,there was an ambulance stationed there but the one and only driver was to drunk to drive it,lol

[Gold Heart]

I worried. We had a emergency when Father-in-Law was ill. It took 40 minutes to get him to hospital. The Duty Doctor was examining him in 5 minutes. My Consultant there in 20.Father stabelised and preped for early morning Op. 1/2 hour.... in Tacloban.Time inc travel 1 hour 5 minute.I have given anguished thought to my "dilemma" about the 3rd.. World response if I had a emergency while living in the boondocks..??DO NOT WORRY ANY BRITS. 72 minutes ago I rang for a Medic/Ambulance. Nothing yet. 7 ringBacks from "staff" ... The Dr deputizing service will ring back "within 30 minutes".Not for me..My Rhodesian pal is in agony... here 4 a week. NOW 1 hour 20min. AGONY..2 years ago I called Emergency -- they were here in 7 SEVEN minutes. Cristina was able to talk with a Doctor from the outset and he reassured her..They just rang us asking for address & details again...1 hour 25 minutes.Brits -- You will not miss the OLD NHS service -- BECAUSE -- it has GONE.Embrace PI and if a emergency occurs consider - this - here in PI , I am no worse off.NHS Direct just rang?? now 1 hour 30 and the call was from Nottingham ?? 100 miles away and said ring another number.???Still waiting now 1 hour 40 minutes.!!!TomPS The Dr. just rang... could I give Peter some of my "stronger" medication? "NO - I said - not my responsibility! I have prescribed Morphine. SO I give him my meds and complications arise and I am in the sh&t. Then try to find the Madras Doctor who instructed me to medicate my pal.?They will call in perhaps 2 hours...Visit, I hope. now 2 hours. from 1st call by me to NHS... therefore 4 hours possibly from 1st. phone call.???

Its one of those risks you take living outside a major city,not just in the Philippines but anywhere. Probably if you know you have life threatening illness its best to stay close such as history of heart problems etc.I read on a yahoo group once where some one had a medical emergence out in the sticks,there was an ambulance stationed there but the one and only driver was to drunk to drive it,lol

I think the other important element is to have an emergency plan. The plan can be tested to some extent possible to ensure it will work.The plan should include a way of administering life saving care immediately and for getting someone to the hospital in an emergency. Recognizing the deficiencies in emergency response especially in remote areas (there are not an appropriate number of ambulances here). I've almost got my wife convinced to learn CPR and first aid: Not just for me but for our son. I think the other important thing is to have regular preventive care and check-ups to prevent some emergencies. Maybe some things can be addressed proactively.

[Singers]

I worried. We had a emergency when Father-in-Law was ill. It took 40 minutes to get him to hospital. The Duty Doctor was examining him in 5 minutes. My Consultant there in 20.Father stabelised and preped for early morning Op. 1/2 hour.... in Tacloban.Time inc travel 1 hour 5 minute.I have given anguished thought to my "dilemma" about the 3rd.. World response if I had a emergency while living in the boondocks..??DO NOT WORRY ANY BRITS. 72 minutes ago I rang for a Medic/Ambulance. Nothing yet. 7 ringBacks from "staff" ... The Dr deputizing service will ring back "within 30 minutes".Not for me..My Rhodesian pal is in agony... here 4 a week. NOW 1 hour 20min. AGONY..2 years ago I called Emergency -- they were here in 7 SEVEN minutes. Cristina was able to talk with a Doctor from the outset and he reassured her..They just rang us asking for address & details again...1 hour 25 minutes.Brits -- You will not miss the OLD NHS service -- BECAUSE -- it has GONE.Embrace PI and if a emergency occurs consider - this - here in PI , I am no worse off.NHS Direct just rang?? now 1 hour 30 and the call was from Nottingham ?? 100 miles away and said ring another number.???Still waiting now 1 hour 40 minutes.!!!TomPS The Dr. just rang... could I give Peter some of my "stronger" medication? "NO - I said - not my responsibility! I have prescribed Morphine. SO I give him my meds and complications arise and I am in the sh&t. Then try to find the Madras Doctor who instructed me to medicate my pal.?They will call in perhaps 2 hours...Visit, I hope. now 2 hours. from 1st call by me to NHS... therefore 4 hours possibly from 1st. phone call.???

The Doctor visited 3 hours 55 min's from my initial call to emergency. He was excellent and gave my Pal a jab which worked. Lovely man from Sri Lanka. Tom

[tropicalwaste]

I worried. We had a emergency when Father-in-Law was ill. It took 40 minutes to get him to hospital. The Duty Doctor was examining him in 5 minutes. My Consultant there in 20.Father stabelised and preped for early morning Op. 1/2 hour.... in Tacloban.Time inc travel 1 hour 5 minute.I have given anguished thought to my "dilemma" about the 3rd.. World response if I had a emergency while living in the boondocks..??DO NOT WORRY ANY BRITS. 72 minutes ago I rang for a Medic/Ambulance. Nothing yet. 7 ringBacks from "staff" ... The Dr deputizing service will ring back "within 30 minutes".Not for me..My Rhodesian pal is in agony... here 4 a week. NOW 1 hour 20min. AGONY..2 years ago I called Emergency -- they were here in 7 SEVEN minutes. Cristina was able to talk with a Doctor from the outset and he reassured her..They just rang us asking for address & details again...1 hour 25 minutes.Brits -- You will not miss the OLD NHS service -- BECAUSE -- it has GONE.Embrace PI and if a emergency occurs consider - this - here in PI , I am no worse off.NHS Direct just rang?? now 1 hour 30 and the call was from Nottingham ?? 100 miles away and said ring another number.???Still waiting now 1 hour 40 minutes.!!!TomPS The Dr. just rang... could I give Peter some of my "stronger" medication? "NO - I said - not my responsibility! I have prescribed Morphine. SO I give him my meds and complications arise and I am in the sh&t. Then try to find the Madras Doctor who instructed me to medicate my pal.?They will call in perhaps 2 hours...Visit, I hope. now 2 hours. from 1st call by me to NHS... therefore 4 hours possibly from 1st. phone call.???

Its one of those risks you take living outside a major city,not just in the Philippines but anywhere. Probably if you know you have life threatening illness its best to stay close such as history of heart problems etc.I read on a yahoo group once where some one had a medical emergence out in the sticks,there was an ambulance stationed there but the one and only driver was to drunk to drive it,lol

Its nothing about being outside a major city in the UK.. the NHS in the UK is F*ck"d beyond repair. Its had money thrown at it by the Labour government who will hopefully be leaving us shortly to secure its voters but mainly in "management" not front line staff which have periodically reduced. I can give a long list of misdiagnosis, death and near death experiences from friends and family as well as myself in the last 5 years. My mother was told to go home after suffering serious side affects from diabetis medication as it was just a "mild bug" it was just on about the 2nd month after regularly visiting her GP and hospital for the illness that on near the death and being told to go home a Diabetis specialist was walking past her and recognised the symptoms straight away. That night she was in Critical care and expected to die because the symptoms had gone to far. A couple of weeks on dialisis having her heart artificially pumped, her blood cleaned and 101 other things she survived but only due to fact of good nursing and 1 good doctor out of about 20. We contacted the doctor surgery after the event to ask why it wasnt diagnosed earlier and why she wasnt told about side affects? Response - "We dont have the facilities". REAL ANSWER BEING DONT TRUST YOUR G.P. Google is more reliable!!Another friend of mine put a call in at around 2am due to his mother being in severe pain the doctor arrived half drunk and diagnosed "heartburn". She was dead by the morning due to a massive heart attack currently going through the courts.My brother has suffered with severe stomach pains and waited 3 months for some medical examination. The medical examination took place and after a trip back to the doctors (another 2 weeks later) they discovered they had missed half the tests off the examination and had to wait another 2 months to have the examination done again. By the time all the "tests" and lip service were complete his body had actually healed itself.My mother in November had her cataracs finally done after waiting over a year on the waiting list.Now some of you are thinking if you wait a bit longer so what its free? THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FREE we pay National Insurance and Tax contributions for this service and its a bloated unreliable service. If it was private maybe some people would get fired to streamline and make the system work properly. If your a U.S. citizen be aware that the NHS service which is being sold in the U.S. at the moment as a great service is crap! it doesnt work and hasnt worked properly since the 60s. The biggest problem as in all British Public services is PUBLIC PENSIONS which are based on final salary. They take up the majority of the funds available, with the excess management structures that became implemented with the Conservative government swiftly followed by the Labour government we now have managers managing managers with big pensions waiting for them at the end of it.So why dont I go private?? If I go private I still have to pay for the NHS!

[Jollygoodfellow]

Thanks for sharing the information about doctors and hospital troubles,you are welcome to start another topic in the World Events Forum but could we try to keep this thread related to the Philippines thanks.:thumbs-up-smile:

[Mik]

I like the health care system in the Philippines. It's cheap enough that you don't need insurance and also you can see a doctor right away. .

[UZI]

I like the health care system in the Philippines. It's cheap enough that you don't need insurance and also you can see a doctor right away. .

I agree. I see one of the top Cardio's in the Philippines, at one of the top hospitals. He charges me just P800 for a full consultation (usually 30 mins plus) & I get to see him by appointment a day or two after phoning.Even hospital rooms cost less than a most hotels.

[Gold Heart]

I like the health care system in the Philippines. It's cheap enough that you don't need insurance and also you can see a doctor right away.

I agree. I see one of the top Cardio's in the Philippines, at one of the top hospitals. He charges me just P800 for a full consultation (usually 30 mins plus) & I get to see him by appointment a day or two after phoning.Even hospital rooms cost less than a most hotels.

Its not cheap for locals unfortunately.A problem to consider is when you travel or visit the US, Europe or other countries and the length of stay. You are living cheap for the ridiculous.

[Art2ro]

I worried. We had a emergency when Father-in-Law was ill. It took 40 minutes to get him to hospital. The Duty Doctor was examining him in 5 minutes. My Consultant there in 20.Father stabelised and preped for early morning Op. 1/2 hour.... in Tacloban.Time inc travel 1 hour 5 minute.I have given anguished thought to my "dilemma" about the 3rd.. World response if I had a emergency while living in the boondocks..??DO NOT WORRY ANY BRITS. 72 minutes ago I rang for a Medic/Ambulance. Nothing yet. 7 ringBacks from "staff" ... The Dr deputizing service will ring back "within 30 minutes".Not for me..My Rhodesian pal is in agony... here 4 a week. NOW 1 hour 20min. AGONY..2 years ago I called Emergency -- they were here in 7 SEVEN minutes. Cristina was able to talk with a Doctor from the outset and he reassured her..They just rang us asking for address & details again...1 hour 25 minutes.Brits -- You will not miss the OLD NHS service -- BECAUSE -- it has GONE.Embrace PI and if a emergency occurs consider - this - here in PI , I am no worse off.NHS Direct just rang?? now 1 hour 30 and the call was from Nottingham ?? 100 miles away and said ring another number.???Still waiting now 1 hour 40 minutes.!!!TomPS The Dr. just rang... could I give Peter some of my "stronger" medication? "NO - I said - not my responsibility! I have prescribed Morphine. SO I give him my meds and complications arise and I am in the sh&t. Then try to find the Madras Doctor who instructed me to medicate my pal.?They will call in perhaps 2 hours...Visit, I hope. now 2 hours. from 1st call by me to NHS... therefore 4 hours possibly from 1st. phone call.???

Its one of those risks you take living outside a major city,not just in the Philippines but anywhere. Probably if you know you have life threatening illness its best to stay close such as history of heart problems etc.I read on a yahoo group once where some one had a medical emergence out in the sticks,there was an ambulance stationed there but the one and only driver was to drunk to drive it,lol

I think the other important element is to have an emergency plan. The plan can be tested to some extent possible to ensure it will work.The plan should include a way of administering life saving care immediately and for getting someone to the hospital in an emergency. Recognizing the deficiencies in emergency response especially in remote areas (there are not an appropriate number of ambulances here). I've almost got my wife convinced to learn CPR and first aid: Not just for me but for our son. I think the other important thing is to have regular preventive care and check-ups to prevent some emergencies. Maybe some things can be addressed proactively.

Yup! It's all about location, location, location! And that's the main reason why we live where we are at today, just a stone throw away distance from hospitals and transportation just in a matter of minutes! Living in the boonies is fine, if you are in good condition health wise! But if not, it would truly be a disadvantage!