Hong Kong patient flees private hospital fee surprises
Arthroscopy is a small, uncomplicated procedure and usually takes an hour. I woke up from the procedure at 9.30am and waited three hours in my four-bed ward section, but nothing happened. There was no follow-up visit from staff, and so I decided to check out at 12.30pm.
I had to pay an extra HK$600 for physiotherapy, which was simply a 10-minute explanation on how to use crutches. This “service” was provided without informing the patient of the extra charge.
Even the room comes with a high price tag of more than HK$1,000. Food and drinks are usually included. But I was not even offered a single cup of water during my time there.
After complaining that neither water nor food had been offered, the lady behind the counter made a generous offer: having a meal (of toast and instant coffee) before leaving the hospital.
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Not to mention the list of “unspecified materials” on the invoice, which I had obviously consumed for that keyhole surgery, which ran into several thousand dollars more.
A bit irritated, I grabbed my crutches and rushed home. Supported by my two “additional legs”, I cooked a proper meal and recovered on the sofa with a book. What a day!
J. Steffen, Mid Levels
