Overheard.......

ronb

ronb

Well-Known Member
Location: BIMC - on a bed for blood sample to be taken, curtains around, so cannot see who is next door, but he has a loud voice

Patient: Hey man, this is painful, it's broken ribs, have had them before many times - but it is painful
Nurse: inaudible
Patient: From Norway, here surfing.
Nurse: some question about a surf board
Patient: no not the board, I kissed the reef and it is very painful, I need pain-killers
Nurse: something about X-ray
Patient: I don't need X-rays, it is just broken ribs and there is nothing you can do but wait - I have done it before many times, I need something for the pain, morphine I think
Nurse: ...doctor will decide...
Patient: Man this is bad, I need to get something for the pain
Nurse: something about Rp600,000....
Patient: 600,000? that's more than I have with me. Can't I just get pain killer? 600,000 for a shot of morphine - that's too much

Then they moved away - I heard no more...
 
This is interesting on several fronts there Ron:
1) Why were you in the hospital?

2) Was this guy angling for a shot of morphine? If so why not go straight to an Apotek and buy it there? Or is that one of the few drugs not available from an Apotek without a prescription?

3) Was this one of those cases where the Balinese Medical profession covers itself in glory yet again?

Were you just trying to take your mind off the pain?

Markit
 
Markit said:
1) Why were you in the hospital?
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Had been low for a week (nauseous and sweats but not very explicit symptoms). They did tests and suggested various possibilities. I am improving - maybe I would have anyway - who knows?

2) Was this guy angling for a shot of morphine? If so why not go straight to an Apotek and buy it there? Or is that one of the few drugs not available from an Apotek without a prescription?
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I simply report what I heard reasonably accurately. I don't know any more.

But I was struck by how he had done his own diagnosis already, knew what treatment he wanted, and was not very interested in other opinions. Some years back I worked as a consultant statistician to biological scientists who had done experiments, wanted to publish, but felt the need for some statistical seal of approval. Consultants usually want to go back to the beginning - hence that famous starting line "Tell me now, what appears to be the problem...."

3) Was this one of those cases where the Balinese Medical profession covers itself in glory yet again?
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Well you would need to know the end of the story - and I don't.
I remain fairly impressed with BIMC because they work fairly hard on diagnosis, do tests, talk to each other, etc. Of course, every test they recommend (like an X-ray) has a cost and the patient needs to be consulted and may say no - in Australia, once you are in the doctors room or hospital, you don't get much say in what tests they do.

Were you just trying to take your mind off the pain?
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Well maybe it was all just a delusion and never really happened.
 
ronb said:
But I was struck by how he had done his own diagnosis already, knew what treatment he wanted, and was not very interested in other opinions.
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I would probably act the same in his situation, if this had happened to me before and I knew what was wrong I would be asking for pain medication as well if it was too much to bare.

Maybe he thinks people in the medical field here like to run all sorts of unnecessary tests on foreigners just so they can make a little extra money. Or maybe he thinks people here in the medical field have poor bedside manner and their ability to think and act quickly enough is not up to the standards as back home.
 
BKT said:
I would probably act the same in his situation, if this had happened to me before and I knew what was wrong I would be asking for pain medication as well if it was too much to bare.

Maybe he thinks people in the medical field here like to run all sorts of unnecessary tests on foreigners just so they can make a little extra money. Or maybe he thinks people here in the medical field have poor bedside manner and their ability to think and act quickly enough is not up to the standards as back home.
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Or maybe the guy just wanted a quick "fix" and thought this was an easy way to get it. :icon_rolleyes:
 
matsaleh said:
Or maybe the guy just wanted a quick "fix" and thought this was an easy way to get it. :icon_rolleyes:
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i had cause to go to Padma clinic some time ago...consultation fee...350.000...an x-ray was needed....250,000......the driver who took me there handed over just 100.000.

I wonder if i had shown my kitas and Bali ID, would I have got it cheaper?:icon_rolleyes:
 
Tamispecial said:
i had cause to go to Padma clinic some time ago...consultation fee...350.000...an x-ray was needed....250,000......the driver who took me there handed over just 100.000.

I wonder if i had shown my kitas and Bali ID, would I have got it cheaper?:icon_rolleyes:
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A slight addition to the above reply...i got wise about paying 'bule; prices for medication......i get my Balinese friend to get it for me....50% cheaper:icon_wink:
 
The only time I went BIMC the doctor seemed fine & the nurse in charge was from west Aust, sent all the bills to my health insurance & repaid me in 3 weeks.:icon_biggrin: But there was a yank there that came off this surf board & kiss the reef boy did he give them curry. I would have been happy to gve him a lethal injection. The staff were only trying to help him, but nothing was good enough.:icon_evil:
 
Medical Service COSTS

Just wondering a little about visits to Hospitals in Bali which of course none of us plans on doing.. well we had an elderly visitor here in Bali for the first time recently. He slipped over in the bathroom of his accommodation 2hrs after arriving (the whole small room was painted apricot which made lighting and sighting difficult).. anyway, he spent his first 36hrs in SOShospital and the bill was US$2500!! Unfortunately there was difficulty with his credit card but my question is:

Is there a BASIC medical cover available here for expats that does not cost the earth?
 
If you put "medical insurance" in the search box - you will find this is a frequent topic, and people have posted much info about what they are doing. But when you read thru this, you are likely to be somewhat confused because the insurance costs seem to vary between around $500 per year to over $3000 per year for one person.

So browse through some of this stuff, and then come back with more specific questions. I guess it depends on what is covered and how they change their premiums for older people, etc.
 
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