In our search for a hospital that had available Orthopaedic doctors, we settled at NMC. A staff was kind enough to accommodate us even without an appointment.

This is their assurance for quality patient care: ”NMC Specialty Hospital is guided by its Quality Policy in its committed [sic] for providing the highest quality care to patients.”

Of all the Ortho Surgeons in that hospital, we ended up with a doctor who, I think, was absent during their orientation seminar for patient care.

When we entered the room, the doctor looked up at us once, and that was it. The entire time after, he was signing papers and writing something down.

My husband explained what was wrong and the doctor reached out and pressed hard, right on the spot where it hurt. For the first time in history, I saw the Captain wince. In that moment, I gave the doctor my mean stare, which went unnoticed because he was back to his forms.

He then instructed us to go have an X-ray and come back to him. He was talking so fast that all I can hear with his tone was ”shoo, shoo, go away!” He didn’t even look us in the eye to give instructions. We may be the unwanted patient who didn’t make an appointment but, doctor, why so blunt?

We went for the X-ray, good thing the service was fast. When we got back to the doctor, he didn’t even look up at all. He continued filling up his forms and clicking on his computer. There was an eerie silence so my husband spoke,

”Did you see the X-ray?”

”Yes, yes. You wait,” the doctor answered abruptly.

He told my husband he had a torn ligament. Of course, I had to see it to believe. Also, I wanted to see what a ligament looks like.

”Can you show me where it is?” I asked nicely.

He pointed at a bone in the X-ray but I didn’t see anything out of place.

”Where exactly is the ligament?”

”You can’t see it here, it’s a clinical diagnosis. You need a special scan to see the ligaments.”

”So why are you pointing and showing me something I cannot see?” That was me speaking in my head. This is what I really said,

”Can we have a copy of this X-ray?”

”Yes, you can get later.”

It was official. I didn’t like the doctor. He was not kind, didn’t explain things like a caring doctor does, didn’t clarify the meds he was prescribing and didn’t give us any assurance that it is gonna be ok.

”Actually this is the first time I’ve been to a hospital since I was born,” the Captain said attempting to start a friendly conversation.

The doctor said nothing. He ignored the confession, didn’t even nod or acknowledge it.

Oh, common, doctor. My husband is a very shy person and when he said that line it was all effort coming from him. Can’t you even say, ”aaawwww.” What a sad childhood you may have had.

After the crappy consultation the nurse gave my husband this.

The Captain needs to use that for two weeks. I asked the nurse if she could give us an extra since wrist supports like that have the tendency to smell or get dirty after a few days. She said no, it wasn’t included in the insurance. So stingy! In the Philippines, in hospitals like your standards, I could get free pro-wraps and coffee if I wanted.

When we were about to leave the hospital, I remembered the X-ray so I went back in and rode the elevator up to the Ortho floor. I went to the reception and the doctor was standing there. He moved aside and turned his back, ignoring me.

”I forgot to get a copy of the X-ray,” I told a staff politely.

”After 2 days. The X-ray will be released after 2 days,” she answered.

And this doctor said I could get it LATER. He just stood there, one foot away, with complete disregard of me.

The guy in the reception downstairs earlier informed me that doctors were in until 10:00 PM. I saw this doctor enter the lift (maybe leaving) around 9:20 PM. We were his last consult and he made us feel like we were wasting his time.

I already submitted an online feedback through their website but I’m posting this to warn people that in case you encounter skeletal problems, you know who to avoid.