The hospital mẹ is in has a design common to buildings in Vietnam. It has many vertical vents from the lowest floor to the sky to allow ventilation and help keep the interior comfortable, at least for Vietnamese.
In the case of the hospital two of the vents, one at each end, are actually large courtyards on the ground floor. The floors above are open to the sky and so have hallways that oversee the perimeter of the courtyards. Attractive open configuration actually.
The less savory features are in the details. Hương and I entered the hospital through the first floor, not the ground floor. To exit it seemed if we used the ground floor we might get more directly back to the motorbike. So down to the ground floor we went.
Walking towards the direction the bike was parked brought us through one of these large courtyards. In it I saw two cats. Cute, I like cats, but they didn't appear to be pets and besides what are cats doing in a hospital? Then I saw a rat. A big one. Big enough I thought the smaller of the two cats might actually be at risk if it tried to predate the rat. And of course I didn't think "cute" when I saw the rat. I thought "what's it doing in the hospital?"
We continued walking and came across several exit doors. All were locked from the inside with a padlock that went through flanges that had been attached to the doors after the fact. They weren't integrated into the doors, they were bolted on. I thought "fire safety hazard" and "how do people get out in an emergency?"
At this point we had to retrace our steps and go out the way we went in. Our alternate path out of the hospital was blocked.
Showing posts with label health care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health care. Show all posts
Friday, October 12, 2012
Hospitals
Hương's oldest brother, Ban, was admitted to the hospital this past weekend. He was having shortness of breath and other issues that seemed like heart problems.
And then her mom, mẹ, got admitted Thursday.
Seems things will work out for everyone. Ban got out the day mẹ was admitted. And mẹ, even thought she asked to stay in the hospital for testing, is comfortable and expects to be out in a few days. Imagine being kept in the hospital for observation because the patient asked.
Hospitals and health care here, at least what I've been exposed to, are completely different then at home.
The hospital Ban was in is brand new and specializes in cardiac medicine. It was barren. The halls were empty. The floor he was on had wide empty halls. There was no nurses' station, no medical personnel in sight. Stepping off the elevator there was something that could have been a reception desk with nobody there. And no "stuff" around as if people were usually there and just were away at the moment. It was barren.
In the room there was no equipment on the walls, no hookups for patient monitors and no nurse call button. The bed was a heavy frame hospital bed that could raise or lower at either end but it was mechanical not electrical operation. There were no side rails to keep the patient on the bed. Plus, and seeming somewhat odd to me, the door had a key lock and the keys were in the lock on the room side of the door.
I also observed Ban getting some treatment. Someone came in to give him a shot. No gloves, didn't see an alcohol rub, didn't see a band aide applied. Knowing how we are in the US about transferring contamination, even in a doctor's office much less a hospital, this all seemed very strange to me.
Hospitals and health care here, at least what I've been exposed to, are completely different then at home.
The hospital Ban was in is brand new and specializes in cardiac medicine. It was barren. The halls were empty. The floor he was on had wide empty halls. There was no nurses' station, no medical personnel in sight. Stepping off the elevator there was something that could have been a reception desk with nobody there. And no "stuff" around as if people were usually there and just were away at the moment. It was barren.
In the room there was no equipment on the walls, no hookups for patient monitors and no nurse call button. The bed was a heavy frame hospital bed that could raise or lower at either end but it was mechanical not electrical operation. There were no side rails to keep the patient on the bed. Plus, and seeming somewhat odd to me, the door had a key lock and the keys were in the lock on the room side of the door.
I also observed Ban getting some treatment. Someone came in to give him a shot. No gloves, didn't see an alcohol rub, didn't see a band aide applied. Knowing how we are in the US about transferring contamination, even in a doctor's office much less a hospital, this all seemed very strange to me.
Mẹ's hospital was much the same in the room. The hospital's halls were much narrower though and there were plenty of patients. Some were watching TV in the hall and there was a small nurse's station at the intersection of the main hall and the hallway to mẹ's room. Me's room was a double. She asked to move to a four person room because her insurance covered that. She didn't want to pay the $17/day room charge for the double. That's right $17US/day!
Hương has also gone to the hospital on at least one of my visits and she's brought the girls for treatment of cough and fever over the year and a half we've known each other. It's pay as you go.
The hospitals Hương's been to, different from Ban and mẹ's, have had a receptionist that she pays for service. We get a receipt and only then see a doctor. However you see the doctor and get treatment quickly. I've accompanied Hương to the hospital and she's been treated and released in 30 minutes!! At home I've waited that long in the emergency room just to be seen by the receptionist so we can start waiting to be seen by a doctor.
Hương has also gone to the hospital on at least one of my visits and she's brought the girls for treatment of cough and fever over the year and a half we've known each other. It's pay as you go.
The hospitals Hương's been to, different from Ban and mẹ's, have had a receptionist that she pays for service. We get a receipt and only then see a doctor. However you see the doctor and get treatment quickly. I've accompanied Hương to the hospital and she's been treated and released in 30 minutes!! At home I've waited that long in the emergency room just to be seen by the receptionist so we can start waiting to be seen by a doctor.
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