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“The Hospital Is Cheating Us Out Of Our Money”
After getting back the results of the blood works and confirming that I am indeed pregnant, the next time I see the same doctor she sends me to do blood works again.
11/02/2014
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
Three days after that, I have to do blood works again. It’s too soon to do an ultrasound yet. But why does she send me to do blood works every three days, I wonder. The doctor tells us this is necessary to monitor the hormones (which are at perfectly normal levels).
We ask others who have been pregnant in the past and they confirm that it isn’t necessary to do blood works every three days. Thus, one day after the doctor sent me to do blood works for the umpteenth time, my husband is furious: “The hospital is cheating us out of our money. We’ll have to find another hospital.” Surely enough, this is the last time I visit the hospital.
One of our female co-workers recommends a hospital specialised in treating women and children, which isn’t too far from our place. The hospital is crowded and not exactly a hospital where I would like to give birth to our child, but it seems to be okay for normal check-ups in China. The doctor sends me to do an ultrasound and tells me to come back in three weeks’ time, during week 10 of pregnancy, which sounds more reasonable than the other 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 although there should have been nothing to worry about, now that’s a completely different story.
As far as I know, many doctors in China earn little considering the cost of their education and the responsibility that comes with the job. They apparently receive bonuses if they prescribe medicine or send patients to do lab tests, leading to doctors prescribing more medicine and lab tests than would be medically necessary.
Have you ever had the feeling that a doctor wanted to cheat you out of your money?