Bad Service in a Government Hospital

I gave birth in Philippine General Hospital (PGH) last January 8, 2011. I was in the Pay Section. My friends and relatives would ask me why I will give birth in a public/government hospital. Actually, the reason why I chose PGH was because my OB is giving birth in PGH, her clinic is in front of PGH, and she was the one who did the surgery to me three years ago, and she was the one who took care of me so I could have my little angel.

Though PGH is a government hospital, I thought the service for those in pay section would be different from those in ward section…but I was so wrong. I paid Php 80,000++ for giving birth; same as though I gave birth in a nice private hospital isn’t it? But I received a freaking bad service from the staff. Admittedly, the specialists of the hospital are really great, no questions asked, because they’re all graduates of University of the Philippines, and most of them were trained abroad. However, the nurses (not all), nursing aids, and other whoever, should be trained not only for good customer service but for good manners and right conduct. They treat all the patients there as if we were all from ward section/charity. Masusungit as in! As if all the patients don’t have the money to pay them! Duh?!

My husband witnessed a nurse from Nursery ICU pushing a baby’s cart (I don’t know how it’s called) with a baby on it, then there was a monobloc chair at the center of the hallway, guess what this lazy unscrupulous nurse did? Instead of stopping to set aside the chair first so she could pass, she bumped the chair with the baby’s cart even though there’s a baby inside it. The doctors are very strict about the ‘shaken baby syndrome,’ why then can’t they advise their nurses of the right handling of a NEWBORN BABY?!? Grrrr! When my husband saw that, he couldn’t stop worrying about our baby who was sent to the NICU 12 hours after he was roomed-in with me for suspected mild sepsis (blessedly, it was just a suspicion, I have a healthy baby boy!).

My Childbirth Experience

Last Pre-Natal Check-Up

Had my last pre-natal check-up and Biometry/Biophysical ultrasound last January 5, and guess what? My OB advised me for a caesarian section OUTRIGHT! Why? As per the ultrasound result, my baby’s estimated weight is 4113 grams (Warlof) already. I was so shocked. I knew it might not be 100 % accurate but I wouldn’t risk my baby’s life just because I want to give birth via NSD. I followed my doctor’s advice. My husband and I made our decision – I will give birth via caesarian section on January 8, 2011 (Saturday).

Baby’s Arrival

Finally, the long wait is over… my precious baby has arrived at 8:02am on January 8, 2011. When I saw my baby, when I heard him cry, and when I finally held him, I forgot all the pain I have experienced from pregnancy to childbirth; I even forgot that I had an incision. The Feeling? It was overwhelming, I could not contain myself.

The recovery?

Very fast! I underwent surgery three years ago due to endometriosis so I already knew how it feels to undergo the knife, and it took me some time to recover. It took me months for me to be able to walk briskly, bend my knees to pick something up, sleep on my side, carry something, and do the things I normally do as a healthy person. But this time, I was so amazed on how fast I have recovered.  Inside the birthing room I was so awake that I kept on talking to the nurses and kept on tilting my head from left to right to observe what’s being done on me. I was not so like this three years ago during my surgery. I gave birth at 8:02am, was sent to recovery room at 9:00am, I was still so awake, as in. At 9:30am, I was already asking the nurse what time is it and what time they will send me back to my room. Every 30 minutes I kept on asking every nurse who passes by near me about the time. Finally, at 11:30am, I was roomed-in. My baby was then roomed-in with me at 12:30nn.