Dear Editor,
I want to share my experience at the Woodlands Hospital in Georgetown on Monday, 17th June 2019. I had extreme pain for three days, unable to walk. Not able to bear the pain any longer, I decided to seek medical attention. Since I was told that the specialist I needed to see is not available in Guyana, I asked the services of an internal medicine specialist, the closest to it. I went to the US State Department website and downloaded a document with doctors in Guyana and chose one from the list, hence how I ended up at Woodlands Hospital
I got to the hospital in immense pain at 12:30 pm. I asked for the doctor on the list, but since I was in so much pain and he had about 20 persons before me, I decided to seek the services of another doctor. I had to wait about 15 minutes for the person who registers for the doctor to appear. Desperate, I saw the doctor leaving his room and accosted him. He agreed to see me, probably the desperation and pain were evident on my face. I still had to wait for the person to register me before he did so.
I saw the doctor and was told that I needed to have an X-ray and some blood tests. I went to have the X-ray and then the blood tests. I was told that the blood tests took 2 hours, 15 minutes, and that I should return at 4:30 pm. I sat in pain for the 2 and a half hours. Upon returning for the tests, I was told that they were not ready because the machine was not working correctly (should I be concerned about the quality of the results?). I started to get irate, mostly from the intense pain and told them I could not wait any longer. I was for 4 hours in a hospital in acute pain. The lab person said there was nothing that could be done. I asked if some of the results can be given to me so I can return to the doctor. They agreed, and I returned to the doctor’s office only to be told that the doctor had left, and I had to return tomorrow. I told them I was in pain and at a minimum needed some painkillers. I could not see another doctor. I was told nothing can be done, and I needed to return the next day.
I then went to the receptionist and asked to speak to the customer relations person, since I needed to see a doctor, and if I could not see one at the hospital, I would like a refund so I can go to another hospital. I was told at 4:45, there was no one in the hospital that I can speak with. It should be noted at no time did the receptionist take my name, so she has no record of my grievance. She made some phone calls, and I was told that I could not speak to anyone, including the administrator. I was also told that I could not have the name, number, or email of anyone to register my grievance. I was given a piece of paper with the name Hemraj on it, and I could not get the first name as “everyone know he as Hemraj”. I also could not get a phone number or email.
Where is the sense of duty of care in this hospital? What happened to the Hippocratic Oath? How could I have spent 5 hours in a hospital without even getting an aspirin, a private commercial hospital? Why would the doctor tell me to return to him with the test results, doesn’t he know how long the test results will take? I left the hospital at 5:30 and still did not get one of the results or had my condition tended to. What age of medicine is the hospital functioning in? Where is the customer relations in the hospital?
I will be filing a complaint with the Medical Council of Guyana and the government consumer agency. I would like a refund of the more than Guyana 20,000 dollars I spent at the hospital only to be told that I needed to return the next day. Suppose I needed emergency medical attention, as shown by the test results.
I came home took two Advil and advised myself I had two options: a bush doctor, sorry Holistic Practitioner, or seek medical attention outside of Guyana (which really should have been the first option). I will be contacting Woodlands through the above agencies for a refund, while I make arrangements to see my doctor outside of Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)
