Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Big_Bird]

[Ilsanman]

Yeah, but it also keeps costs more reasonable.

[greedy_bones]

The fact that you see people in hospital gowns still attached to IVs wandering the aisles of Homeplus because they won't put cafeterias in hospitals may also be part of the problem.

[saw6436]

Lots of knowledge about Korean hospitals and medical practices. How many of you actually work at a Korean hospital? Attended medical school in Korea (or any other country for that matter)? Just what qualifications do you have to judge health care in Korea?

Have I always been satisfied with health care here? No. But some of the comments just go a little too far.

You love the cheep service but complain about the lack of personal attention. If you want a nurse to help you out of bed or to wipe your arse your gonna have to pay for it. My health insurace here costs 4,000 won per month. I've never paid more than 1,500 won for any hospital service. So, I'm very happy to use a Korean hospital.

[Ilsanman]

I pay about 40,000 a month (not sure) and pay at least 3,000 to see a doctor. What kind of plan are you on?

[saw6436]

I'm covered under the Korean Nurses Association.

[Ilsanman]

Very nice. But you should expect others don't get such a sweet deal.

In my case, I'd be willing to pay more to get better care. But it's not much of an option for many of us.

[saw6436]

I don't care if other get a good deal or not. Fact is you get what you pay for. Hospital staff, including Doctors, get paid a pittance compared with what they make back "home".

[Mix1]

[greedy_bones]

So, I had my first ER visit yesterday, and was a little disappointed. I'm a type 1 (juvenile/insulin dependant) diabetic and had an insulin reaction at work. I woke up in the ER after they gave me some glucose injections. The emergency care was pretty good and fast, but the medical advice was terrible. Having lived with the disease since I was two years old, I know how to manage it pretty well, but on occasion my exercise, diet, and insulin levels don't match and I'll have a problem. The doctor told me not to take any insulin for the next week and to eat four meals a day. If I did that, I would probably die, lose an extremity, or go blind. What he should have told me, which is what I'm doing, is to monitor my bloodsugar more, and make sure I have a big enough breakfast, not to pretend I don't have diabetes.

This visit cost me about 1/4 the cost of a visit in the U.S., but I think the problem is just with the quality of medical schools here and the prevalence of superstition. They should really get more up to date text books, and perhaps hire more professors from the west to bring them up to speed on modern medicine.

[socigrrl22]

Yeah, I'd have to agree with all of you. I woke up with Bell's Palsy one day, which freaked me out immensely ( I blame the nasty cold virus I had). I went to the hospital, and the doctor didn't even check my facial responses. He simply read the translation that I made, then told me that there was too much " cold wind" in my face. Ha!

Anyway, I read up some do-it-yourself stuff online, and I'm almost better now.

I remember going to the OB/Gyn last year, and I had to put on a communal skirt to be examined. I guess the doctors enjoy looking up skirts... Before that I was in a hospital where I had to carry my uncovered urine test down to another floor to be submitted. Gee....no chance that sample could have been contaminated!

Canada has one doctor in Seoul that is trusted enough to do physical exams for potential immigrants to Canada. I wonder why there's only one?

[socigrrl22]

Hey Greedy Bones,

I have some questions about diabetes. I have been experiencing some potential symptoms (tingly extremities, Bell's Palsy, dizziness, increased urination, fatigue, etc.) , but am hesitant to go to the doctor here anymore. Do you know of any good places to get a reliable blood test? I'm afraid that a doctor will tell me I don't have it if I do, and will tell me I have it if I don't. I go home in three months. Do you think I should get checked? What are the chances I'd have long-term damage if I did nothing for three months?

Thanks!

[Temporary]

I had a broken nose, and a massive Septum hematoma. I went to a doctor ENT doctor. This fucking quack gave me painkillers .He didn't straighten my nose he didn't drain the hematoma which can lead to permenant damage of the cartlidge in the nose.. I had to go to three doctors before I got frustrated and went to busan to an x GI hospital. He finnaly did an xray, drained the hematoma. I was better after 3 days. My co-worker had her nose broken in a volleyball accident, it took her 3 weeks before it was semi-better.. 1 whole month for recovery.. She said the doctor was highly recommanded. She had the same problem as me with a hematoma which is a common occurance when a nose is broken. This idiot didn't fucking clue for 2 weeks. I told her about then she apperantly told him about it, then they drained her nose.

I told her to change her doctor cause this guy was a moron.

I always prefer shots over the standard pills its quick, its cheap and I am not pumping myself full of other shit.

I love it when some of these lunatics insist its less pain crap.. I'm a fucking Kickboxer pain is not something I can get around.. Everytime I get sick or need allergy medicine I tell them to inject me.. They tell me pills are better. I tell them I want a injection, end of story. I'm not buying into three days of medicine bullshit.. Especialy when they are feeding me other stuff I don't need.. Common I don't need digestive, or pain killers for a simple strep throat.

[greedy_bones]

[jaykimf]