One hospitalization away...

Life, they say, flips in an instant – the death of a loved one, an illness or some freak accident. The list goes on and on. Just putting this into words makes me anxious. Oh, knock on wood, not once but many times.

On what was usually a quiet Sunday morning this past weekend, a family member felt excruciating muscle pain and could not move.

My instinct was to call an ambulance that would take us to the ER, but our patient said that would be too expensive.

The situation is much better now, as I write this, thanks to some OTC pain relievers, but we still need to go to the doctor immediately.

There’s no denying that it is very anxiety-inducing to face a health scare. But in the Philippines, this anxiety is made worse not only by the illness itself but also by the exorbitant cost of health care.

It’s true what they say. Most Filipinos are just one hospitalization away from poverty. There’s no exaggeration in that. A debilitating illness can wipe out one’s life savings.

A few years ago, I brought someone to the ER, who also had to deal with an exorbitant bill, even though he didn’t even stay overnight. Every move, every test, every item or piece of equipment used on the patient was charged. Some items even seemed to be charged twice.

For example, the ER doctor required an X-ray of the patient’s spine. What was surprising was that to get a copy of the radiograph, just for the patient to keep for his records, required another payment. Isn’t that absurd?

Highway robbery

This seems more like highway robbery than health care.

Some private hospitals run health care more like a business than what it should really be – caring for people’s health.

Let me tell you another story.

Last year, another family member was rushed to a private hospital in Quezon City – the nearest to where he was at the time. Our whole family was shocked by the bill, the poor quality of service, the lack of empathy from the staff and many other horrors.

For example, when he was rushed to the ER that fateful evening, a doctor other than the ER physicians saw him only in the afternoon of the following day.

Prior to that, nobody talked to us about his situation, about our options or his chances of survival. In short, we had to just blindly follow what the people at the ER said – that he needed to stay in the ICU.

But we had to make a down payment first before he would be accommodated in the ICU.

The next day, when he was ready to be moved to a room and no longer stay in the ICU, our only option, we were told, was the most expensive private suite, not a ward, not a semi-private room, not even an ordinary private room.

It just had to be the most expensive private suite.

But that’s not the worst of it. Despite paying for the most expensive room in that hospital, we were told that guests were limited. Our big family could not be accommodated there.

One could have panic attacks just dealing with all these hospital rules during a very difficult and emotional time.

When I read reviews of this hospital, I learned that their staff, such as the nurses and other medical personnel, were underpaid. Perhaps that was the reason the service was so bad.

And yet, private hospitals in the Philippines are so expensive.

This is a symptom of a bigger problem – a rotten health care system.

Private hospitals charge so much because they know they can. They know that Filipinos, especially the middle class who still prefer to go to private hospitals instead of government hospitals with inadequate facilities, have no choice but to pay.

They know that Filipinos will do everything for a loved one, even if it means being buried in debt.

No wonder we see a lot of fundraising appeals in our Viber groups and on social media for medical expenses, of a friend or a loved one.

No wonder corrupt congressmen and senators are able to stay in power. Desperate Filipinos, who go to them during emergencies and are able to get aid, often turn a blind eye to their thievery.

This should not be the case. We need better government-owned hospitals and we need better private hospitals. In short, we need an inclusive health care system.

Look at Taiwan. Taiwan’s National Health Insurance provides nearly 100 percent universal health care coverage with emphasis on affordable access and prevention.

A charity ward

Here at home, at least one private hospital, St. Luke’s Medical Center, is also trying to make things better.

Through the St. Luke’s Medical Center Foundation, St. Luke’s officially launched the Evelyn Ang/Dana Charity Ward, a completely free 40-bed facility dedicated to underserved and indigent Filipino patients.

For Dr. Benjamin Campomanes Jr., president of the Foundation, the charity ward stands as a cornerstone of the foundation’s broader efforts toward inclusive and sustainable health care.

Bravo St. Luke’s! We hope to see more of this.

For sure, we need a better health care system, because as it is now, for millions of Filipinos, one hospital admission is all it takes to fall into poverty.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on X @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.