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China Elevator Stories
“The Hospital Is Cheating Us Out Of Our Money”
After getting back the results of my blood work and confirming that I am indeed pregnant, the next time I see the same doctor, she sends me for more blood work.
11/02/2014
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
Three days later, I have to do blood work again. It’s too soon to do an ultrasound, so I wonder why she keeps sending me for blood tests every three days. The doctor explains that it’s necessary to monitor my hormone levels (which are perfectly normal).
We ask others who have been pregnant before, and they confirm that it isn’t necessary to do blood work this frequently. Finally, after yet another round of tests, my husband is furious: “The hospital is cheating us out of our money. We’ll have to find another hospital.”
Sure enough, that visit is my last to this hospital.
One of our female co-workers recommends a hospital specializing in treating women and children, which isn’t too far from our place. This hospital is crowded and not exactly where I’d like to give birth, but it seems suitable for normal check-ups in China. The doctor there sends me for an ultrasound and tells me to come back in three weeks, during week 10 of my pregnancy. That sounds much more reasonable than the previous doctor.
Being pregnant in a country where things work completely differently from your home country can be a challenge. But having a doctor who makes you feel worried about your baby’s health when there’s no reason to be—that’s an entirely different story.
As far as I know, many doctors in China earn relatively little considering the cost of their education and the responsibility their job entails. Apparently, they receive bonuses for prescribing medicine or sending patients for lab tests, which can lead to unnecessary prescriptions and tests.
Have you ever felt like a doctor wanted to cheat you out of your money?