Last Monday my husband had surgery at Seoul Asan Medical Center (AMC). It was not a major surgery so we only have to stay at hospital for 1 night. The patient need to be accompanied by a guardian, and surely I'm the closest to my husband.
He had Chr Tonsillitis surgery because he always coughed and took a long time to recover from it. So he consulted the doctor and carried out the surgery.
This is my card while waiting for him to have the surgery. The operation should be started from 1pm but it was delayed until 1.47pm. (Why do I know the exact time? - It is because they sent sms (text message) to both my husband and my handphones to announce it). I waited at 3rd floor, the surgery waiting place.
The process was like that:
1) The patient need to consult doctor that he wants to have surgery.
2) He/she need do check up (make appointment before hand) in the hospital. (It is costly)
3) Consult the doctor again and having discussion if the surgery is fine to be taken out.
4) If yes, make the appointment for the surgery.
5) At the surgery date, come before the time and register yourself at the exact surgery room. Like ours, we went to the department of nose and ear.
6) After that, while waiting, go back to 1st floor and fill in the form of hospitalization (if you have to stay overnight), and sign as required (both the patient and the guardian).
7) Go back to the exact department surgery room (like AMC - it has 3 buildings and all departments are located at different building - know the exact location and save your time).
8) The patient need to wear the patient uniform and naked inside. Pass the clothes to your guardian (the hospital does supply a bag for you) if you have to stay overnight, if not, just put in the locker in the changing room.
9) The guardian can go to the room they assigned to wait the patient to be sent to the room.
10) Stay overnight and obey the rule of the hospital. The nurse in-charge will request the guardian come over to her computer. She then asked you about the medical and family history of the patient, and then she will explain the rules of the hospitalization and pass you the booklet with the map of the hospital too.
Remarks: everything was explained in Korean.
11) The doctor will come over and check with the patient again.
12) Before dehospitalized, pay the money at 1st floor again and they will pass you the medicine (if available) when you back to your room. Just check out everything you bring in and say bye to the hospital.
AMC is a big hospital. As you can see from the photo 1 above, car parks are full of cars, and there are underground car park somemore. This is the hospital which most celebrities have funeral ceremony too.
We have our friend works at this hospital, at the International clinic, whom I got help from her a lot. The foreigners have to make appointment first if they want to visit this International clinic.
The layout of the hospital is well-designed and used all. It is because it is located at Seoul, and space is limited. It is also clean and systematic too. Basement 1st floor is the food court and food restaurants. Because my friend treated me in the staff restaurant, I saved a lot of money on food. I met with lots of doctors and nurses too (they're not as attractive as shown in the tv dramas lol).
I was surprised that even this hospital has a department store branch (Hyundai D.S.) at first floor - it seems like a mini town more than a hospital. They are also gardens (as shown in the photo 2 above) and a sky lounge at the highest floor. :O
Let's talk about the room, we're blessed because we stayed at 6-ppl room, which only costs about 10,000 won per night. If not, we have to stay at 2-ppl room which costs about 170,000. Can you imagine the price difference? The range is so high that we prayed so hard for the available space. Mostly the elders stay at the 6-ppl room because they have to stay for a period of time. The range is high because of one is covered by the insurance and another is not.
Yu Jin stayed at bed no.2 at room 10633 - tenth floor.
It is quite a big space (at least bigger than the hospital at my hometown, KK). Can you spot the mini bed (grey) under the patient bed? It is my bed (the bed for guardian). So the guardian must bring their own blanket and pillow. Oh yes! There are some things that you should bring yourself: towel, tooth brush, tooth paste, tissue, food, clothes and sleeping necessities. We brought sleeping bag indeed.
Because of H1N1 swine flu, there is a hand washing sanitary at every bed and entrance of the door. Use it well.
This is the portable table of the nurse! High-tech and smart! All the things can be moved easily and so convenient.
Yu Jin had to fast for the first night. Since he had to eat everything cold for 1 whole week, I'm not sure what to cook for him. But after I saw the breakfast prepared by the hospital, I got some ideas - cold porridge, cold radish soup and bean sprout soup, cold tofu and vege.
Yu Jin had already had the cold porridge for 1 whole week, and he easily gets hungry. I hope he can recover as soon as possible and I can cook delicious food for him.
I feel warm to see the elders lied down on the beds and their wives accompanied them. But it is so sad that they can't sleep well for the whole night because 2 of them kept coughing for the whole night. I remembered my grandparents when they were hospitalized last time. They suffered so much. I hope the elder people in this room can go home as soon as possible.
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