Sanatorium or Adventist? AND Delivery budget

Cost can also be reduced by haggling! Most people dont think about this option and many feel embarrassed, but the option is there and you can get significant savings by simply saying "I have no insurance, I cannot afford it and I need a break". We did and saved thousands.
Hospitals are inflexible but doctors are quite flexible.

Interesting piece of information! Good to know. Thank you.
 
The billing at Sanatorium is pretty transparent...

However, they add at the end of the package info: "Prices are subject to change without prior notice"

Sorry for perhaps a silly question, nonetheless: what does it mean to be in the 'general ward'? Does it mean I am with other women in the room during my delivery? Or delivery is always private: you , the doc and midwife? How many women are there (roughly) in the general ward at the Sanatorium?
 
Either 6 or 8 beds in the general wards at Sanatorium. For the delivery, you go to the delivery room which is private and only you, midwives/Dr and doula/husband are in there.
 
Either 6 or 8 beds in the general wards at Sanatorium. For the delivery, you go to the delivery room which is private and only you, midwives/Dr and doula/husband are in there.

Thanks, 2010-NewDad. I was totally clueless...

I am of two minds after following this thread. I don't have an insurance but I am reluctant to go to a public hospital (as supposedly epidural is not guaranteed as there is a shortage of anaesthetists; they are full of Mainlanders, etc.). If I had known in advance that I wouldn't have complications I would definitely go for a private hospital (I think your bill of 43k was reasonable, even 50-60k is still alright), but as you and others in this thread have mentioned complications can ballooon prices out of proportion. Is there a third way, an alternative?
 
Perhaps you can look into the costs at Adventist...they are 10-20% cheaper than sanatorium..I believe next ti Matilda t
Sanatorium is one of the most expensive in town (at least HK side). Would you consider canossa? Does your doctor deliver there? I remember the costs there are a bit lower also...though it is in mid-levels, the drive from happy Valley should only take 20mins (no traffic) and that isn't too bad considering it's your first and the chances of delivering right away are not too high. Private at the public hospitals cost pretty much the same as going private in private hospitals so for you going to QMH would not be a very good option (in my opinion) as the travel time would be quite far fri. happy Valley...though I delivered at the adventist when living in Pokfulam and the ride was only 20mins (though it felt like eons!)....delivered at 6am though...,no traffic. You'll find plenty if mainlanders at the sanatorium too...I felt like an outcast there, and I'm local! Anyhow, they pretty much stick to themselves, they have a HUGE entourage so it kind if made me feel neglected (though my hubby, mom, helper and Grandma always came to visit!). All the best!
 
I am of two minds after following this thread. I don't have an insurance but I am reluctant to go to a public hospital (as supposedly epidural is not guaranteed as there is a shortage of anaesthetists; they are full of Mainlanders, etc.).

If lots of Mainlanders are a big concern, then steer clear of Sanatorium as my wife was the only non-Mainland woman in the ward. I have written elsewhere of some of the issues we had with the behaviour of the other patients - loud phone calls, excessive durian consumption, shouting husbands watching the racing at the end of the ward etc.
 
Perhaps you can look into the costs at Adventist...they are 10-20% cheaper than sanatorium..I believe next ti Matilda t
Sanatorium is one of the most expensive in town (at least HK side). Would you consider canossa? Does your doctor deliver there?

Although I don't know much about Canossa, I would consider it (as well as Adventist) if it has a good/decent reputation. I have to ask my doctor (Dr. Patrick Chan) where he delivers (for sure at Matilda and Sanatorium). How about St. Theresa? Although the drive might be too long - it's in Kowloon...
 
The reputation of canossa is good...at least from what I have heard. It's newly renovated so the comfort level would be quite good I believe...Adventist is in the midst of renovations so can be annoying sometimes.
 
If lots of Mainlanders are a big concern, then steer clear of Sanatorium as my wife was the only non-Mainland woman in the ward. I have written elsewhere of some of the issues we had with the behaviour of the other patients - loud phone calls, excessive durian consumption, shouting husbands watching the racing at the end of the ward etc.

Interesting, when I gave birth there 6 months ago, none of these at all. I had excellent rest and I wanted to stay there a 4th night :) It's a bigger hospital so there are more people around unlike Matilda. Matilda is more 'private' and you don't bump into people along the corridor. But I find Matilda old (service is first class though). After the my 2nd delivery (at Sanatorium), we went back to Matilda for photo-treatment. We were in a private room, and I recall I was wishing we were back in Sanatorium cos the room was so dark!

Sorry I side tracked. Back to Sanatorium. Highly recommended. Didn't experience any of the annoyance mentioned by others. It's certainly not cheap. My bill was 130+ for a 3 day normal delivery, no complication.
 
Interesting, when I gave birth there 6 months ago, none of these at all. I had excellent rest and I wanted to stay there a 4th night :) It's a bigger hospital so there are more people around unlike Matilda. Matilda is more 'private' and you don't bump into people along the corridor. But I find Matilda old (service is first class though). After the my 2nd delivery (at Sanatorium), we went back to Matilda for photo-treatment. We were in a private room, and I recall I was wishing we were back in Sanatorium cos the room was so dark!

Sorry I side tracked. Back to Sanatorium. Highly recommended. Didn't experience any of the annoyance mentioned by others. It's certainly not cheap. My bill was 130+ for a 3 day normal delivery, no complication.

Interesting - not too far apart from my wife who gave birth 8 months ago. Guess it is luck of the draw then.... however I have no idea why your bill was more than 3x ours given we also had a 3 day stay with normal delivery and no complications? We were in the shared ward?
 
We had a private deluxe room. Hence the higher cost (every procedure is more expensive). Also had circumcision done, again added cost.

That's also probably why we didn't experience the din. As the private room was tucked right at the end with no traffic at all.

Our insurance covered it so it made sense to make ourselves comfortable .....
 
We had a private deluxe room. ... Our insurance covered it so it made sense to make ourselves comfortable .....

What insurance did you have? I am currently looking for one that covers pregnancy, child brith and maternity. I have a decent insurance but it doesn't cover pregnancy or childbirth :(. Ideally, need a top-up plan that covers them.
 
What insurance did you have? I am currently looking for one that covers pregnancy, child brith and maternity. I have a decent insurance but it doesn't cover pregnancy or childbirth :(. Ideally, need a top-up plan that covers them.


Lina27, I cannot help with an insurance that convers pregnancy, and also I did not go through the whole thread. Are you already pregnant? Some companies do not cover things if they are considered "pre-conditions", I mean, if the "condition" started before they start their coverage.

Also, I had an issue at Sanatorium a few weeks ago. Not related with pregnancy, but with medication given to small kids.
My son (2,5 years old) had gone through tonsils and adenoids surgery, and they came to give him a pain killer (suppository) when my husband was in the room and I had left to have lunch. When I was back, thank god my husband did not leave right away, because around an hour later, another nurse came to give my son a pain killer (suppository). My husband asked how often that was needed and she said every 8 hours. He told her they had already given him one an hour earlier, and this nurse, and then a second nurse who came 5 minutes later, insisted that they did not have anything on their record about that first suppository. We, of course, did not allow them to put a second suppository and we reported that issue to the doctor. We should have reported to the hospital management though, but we didn't.
Maybe a second suppository of pain killer is not a serious overdose, but it is scary to see that they can come and put double doses of medications if you do not pay attention and ask what they are doing. And, in any case, there must be a reason why that dose is given every 8 hours and not every hour.
If my husband leaves and does not tell me they put him a suppository, I would not have asked the nurse and would have let her put a second one.
 
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