For anyone when your loved one is in hospitals, how many times, did you have to face tough times that hospital billed over, insurance did not want to pay, the approval did not come in time for discharge of patient, you feel hospital doctors are keeping your loved one in hospital for supporting corporate goals and others. For me when I dealt with our insurance and the hospital where she stayed, it was quite a pleasant experience for the time I spent in sleeping hospital for 10 days.
It all started around Dasara Festival time. My mom who is a chronic asthmatic got exposed to pooja smoke of Dhoop etc. it got worse in 3-4 days where she could not be on her own. Since we were taking her to a well-known Pulmonologist in city we wanted to admit her in same corporate hospitals where he works. The next thing that comes to my mind is how to beat the system to get appointment with this specialist and find a place for if mom needed admission to hospital. On Saturday morning I was really worried and called a high school friend who is in medical equipment business as he was willing to find a seat for my daughter in the same people medical college. He knew the perfect gentlemen at the corporate hospitals.
I took my mom with my wife in tow (thank god she came with me as it would have been difficult to manage a few things in hospital before moms admission) to this hospital. When I arrived there and told the name of the gentlemen I spoke to, all was set in motion. Appointment was ready. The next person to see the doc is my mom. Doc was surprised to see mom in that condition as he was used to seeing her walking into his consulting office. He suggested to observer her for a day or two in hospital and told me he would start treatment in EMD ( I believe it is probably emergency ward) as it will take 2 hrs to find a room. He did not know I already set that in motion. While she was getting her first dose of nebulization for her condition, I finalized a room in 6th floor. We took her to get her X-Ray and by 12:30 we are in her room. After settling into the room I called my family to inform that mom is in observation and probably will leave in 2 days to home.
Nurses were very warm and caring for mom but for a couple of them in about 10 of them I saw. They were courteous and were instructing her well what to do and what not to do. Other supporting staff was also helping us in best possible way. After sometime in US where luckily only time I saw hospital was for our little ones birth, I felt service here is very good in hospital.
Meanwhile I provided my insurance documents to the hospital and talked the insurance people and told them of the situation. By Monday I know we will be in hospital for a few more days than I expected as mom was not responding well to the treatment. I called insurance folks one more time and updated that we probably will be there for more days. Checked with hospital insurance people also to make sure they are aware of the situation and they are sending necessary pre-approvals to insurance folks.
This is the first time it dawned upon me that the insurance working between hospital and the insurance company is going so smooth that everyone is in sync. I was only checking to make sure the process is working. First time it occurred to me that customer service in health industry has arrived in India.
We went thru one week of effort to make it thru. I was sleeping every day in hospital at night so I could talk to the doc when he comes to rounds every day. Madhu was holding the fort talking care of kids, their college/schools etc. We found some good help who came as blessing in disguise to take care of mom’s needs. So my work at night became easy as she was taking care of her mostly.
Finally the day arrived when we have to discharge mom. It happened to be a Monday. Doctor came for rounds and told me that I can take her home. I gave heads up to hospital people and insurance people. I called insurance people in the morning this customer representative, whom I spoke to – R Sharma, is such a nice person, she told me to get all paper work in and call and ask for her. She followed up with me 3 times in day providing status. The system send sms when they receive the final bill and make the approval for final amount. It is really amazing you are constantly informed of where your case is using technology such as sms. She called me later in the day and wished my mom well and told me all is well and I can take my mom home.
My mom is still recovering but the entre experience for me gave a new meaning on new India and its capability in customer service. Well folks, now I can say loudly Customer Service in Health Industry Arrived in India
I will add some pictures I took of Birla Temple near Hussain Sagar and Secretariat on face book. These pictures are taken by me during my mom’s hospital stay showing moods of Hyderabad.
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