First off, sorry for the lack of posts - was in China on business for the past week, where I happened to catch a bug which had a whole lot of similar symptoms to H1N1. While, it probably wasn't H1N1 (probably not severe enough), I got some new symptoms starting yesterday which worried me. What better opportunity to explore the Taiwanese health system! So - I went to the hospital that had an English sounding name (Mackay Memorial) figuring my odds of encountering an English speaking doctor would be higher there. I asked the first person with a uniform what I should do if I want to see a doctor and she personally escorted me to the registration desk and then the internal medicine clinic (extremely nice of her, and probably not the typical routine). The clinic was absolutely packed with people for 10:30am - perhaps normal, perhaps due to H1N1/seasonal flu? The system was all number-based and there were about 10 doctors on duty, each with their own room and nurse. Records were kept in the same room as the doctor. When I saw the doctor, he spoke fluent English, and was very thorough in his assessment of me. At no time did I feel rushed. He felt that whatever I had was on its way out and he prescribed 2 medications to deal with cleaning up the aftermath (cough suppressant and mucous thinner). I was then given a slip to take to the cashier.
I was afraid that this was going to cost an arm and a leg because I had seen an internal medicine specialist instead of a GP (assuming things were structured the same way there). It turns out it only cost NT$580, which is just under $20. The next step was to pick up my prescriptions... again, a number system was used although the people queuing were slightly confusing (it turned out the number posted meant anything below that number which is why it jumped 15 at a time). I was afraid that the medications would be similar in cost as in Canada but when I asked about paying, it turned out that $20 included my medications as well!
In summary - very very efficient, very affordable (for a regular visit - not sure about surgery/complex), although extremely crowded and consequently a huge risk for the spread of disease.
Time:
Registration - 5 minutes
Waiting room - 20-30 minutes
Pharmacy - 10 minutes
Quite impressed. Sorry - didn't take photos (no camera).
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Good to hear that they have such a system, I wonder if it's affordable to the regular "joe" living in the city?
ReplyDeleteFeel better! :)
yah, most folks pay a small registration fee (i think $50 per visit) and the rest of the fee is being subsdised by the gov't. For older folks, i believe it's all free. Medication isn't expensive since they gave you medications for your cough. If you get X-ray and other things, it'll be thousands for sure. Nevertheless, it's still considerably cheap.
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