This week, Owen was in a Chinese hospital to have a back procedure operation which meant an overnight stay for him. He came back with quite the story and I am quite sure that he will not be having any more procedures in China (instead, he will travel to Hong Kong, which is where most of the Westerners go to have scheduled operations and procedures).
Going through International private medical insurance meant that he had a private room which included dinner and breakfast. Dinner was a pizza! Served in the box from where it was ordered.
After a very sleepless night on a mattress that was 2″ thick, Owen was asked what he wanted for breakfast. This was the first time that anyone had checked on him in 13 hours, after a general anaesthetic. He requested coffee, orange juice and toast. This is what was served:
Breakfast in Chinese hospital
Owen was also a little frightened in the operating room as everyone was speaking Chinese around him and he was actually awake for most of the procedure. He believes that the whole procedure could have been done in his Doctor’s office and was an exercise in maximizing insurance payout.
He told me that his hospital room did not look or feel clean, the windows were wide open with no bug screens on them and a building site right next door with all the construction dust and fumes coming in. All in all, not at all comparable to the British or American health coverage and care that we all take for granted.
osiochina 