So Thanksgiving is only a day away and I thought I'd share my recent experience in BsAs.
Last week, my 1 year old son had an emergency and needed an operation. Our first stop was Diagnostico. The ER doctor recommended we go to Hospital de los ninos because we do not have insurance and she says the surgeons are the same ones that operate at Diagnostico. That same night with my son in agony, we drove over to Hospital de los ninos. They were able to put him out of pain and admitted him overnight for observations.
I thought we were getting a room with at least one other patient. It was a room with 20 beds and 20 chairs - uncomfortable chairs. I have never been to a hospital where I had to leave in the morning so the cleaner can mop the floor, change my child's bedding, take his temperature, and do our own dishes. Only mothers can stay overnight and only 1 visitor is allowed per child at a time, except for 1 hour a day. The kitchen and bathroom for the mothers had 5 chairs of which only 2 had all four legs. The fridges were so old and loud it's amazing the children can sleep. Nevertheless, I was very enlightened. The nurses, doctors, volunteers, and mothers were INCREDIBLE. Considering that I was the newcomer, everyone tried to speak to me in English, the other moms pitched in to do my share of our work, lent me a towel, gave me diapers and clothing for my son because all he had were hot flannel pajamas. It was free.
We ended up moving back to Diagnostico to have the surgery after the first night, only because the surgeon worked there that day. He was the same one that was scheduled to operate on Friday at Hospital de los ninos, which we did not want to wait for. He was recommended by my OB. Overall, the surgeon was very thorough, found another problem that needed to be corrected, our room was clean and decorated very childlike nice. The service was okay. It was definitely not free.
In the end, what am I thankful for aside the health of my son? The people at the public hospital.
Last week, my 1 year old son had an emergency and needed an operation. Our first stop was Diagnostico. The ER doctor recommended we go to Hospital de los ninos because we do not have insurance and she says the surgeons are the same ones that operate at Diagnostico. That same night with my son in agony, we drove over to Hospital de los ninos. They were able to put him out of pain and admitted him overnight for observations.
I thought we were getting a room with at least one other patient. It was a room with 20 beds and 20 chairs - uncomfortable chairs. I have never been to a hospital where I had to leave in the morning so the cleaner can mop the floor, change my child's bedding, take his temperature, and do our own dishes. Only mothers can stay overnight and only 1 visitor is allowed per child at a time, except for 1 hour a day. The kitchen and bathroom for the mothers had 5 chairs of which only 2 had all four legs. The fridges were so old and loud it's amazing the children can sleep. Nevertheless, I was very enlightened. The nurses, doctors, volunteers, and mothers were INCREDIBLE. Considering that I was the newcomer, everyone tried to speak to me in English, the other moms pitched in to do my share of our work, lent me a towel, gave me diapers and clothing for my son because all he had were hot flannel pajamas. It was free.
We ended up moving back to Diagnostico to have the surgery after the first night, only because the surgeon worked there that day. He was the same one that was scheduled to operate on Friday at Hospital de los ninos, which we did not want to wait for. He was recommended by my OB. Overall, the surgeon was very thorough, found another problem that needed to be corrected, our room was clean and decorated very childlike nice. The service was okay. It was definitely not free.
In the end, what am I thankful for aside the health of my son? The people at the public hospital.
