Which private hostpital is the best?

C

chief

Registered User
Just found out my fiance is pregnant and the first thing the doctor said was "Book your hospital!" Funny.

So the question is: Which private hospital is best?

I know that I'm asking a subjective question, but that's because I want answers from real people with opinions.

Cost is not really a factor for me and I'm fine with spending even $200K for the best of everything without going to the extreme of having solid gold toilets.
 
Well, an awful lots of Westerner's go to the Matilda. I went to the Canossa and was very happy there. The only difference I can make out - from chatting to friends who delivered there, and from when I visited myself to see them - was that there are a lot more western staff at the Matilda, and a huge menu to choose your food from! Oh yeah, and it's more expensive overall.

Where do you live? I can't say that I've really heard too many horror stories about any of the private hospitals. Who is your doctor though, as some are not allowed to deliver at some hospitals so that may make a difference.
 
If money is no object and you want the best (whatever that means), there are esentially 2 choices:

Matilda : Is full of Western looking, western educated doctors. Preferred by rich expats with deep pockets or top insurance.

Sanitorium : Is full of Chinese looking, western and locally educated doctors many of them also educators at local universities. Preferred by rich Chinese along with POP and movie stars..
 
A few things to consider.

* Who is your doctor and at what hospital do they have privileges. You might find a doctor you like to be more important than the physical facility where you deliver.

* Where do you live? It may sound silly, but when the time comes the last thing you want to be doing is fighting traffic to get to the hospital on the other side of the island or trying to hail a taxi in the middle of rush hour. Someplace closer might be better.

* Finally, where can you get in? Have you started to talk to the hospitals? Depends how far along you are in the pregnancy but places do fill up fast.

Good luck and congratulations.
 
Great suggestions so far. I'll need to look into those hospitals more. We haven't found a doctor yet. The doctor that confirmed the pregnancy doesn't do deliveries :frown:

Would be happy to get some suggestions from people. Western looking doctors isn't as important as just great service and genuine care. She's local, and I'm ABC.

I read that thread about Baptist and was pretty scared!

Wow, hospitals for the rich? Would I expect to spend more than $200K then? I'm fine with more, but would just like to know how much to budget.
 
Very valid points above. You should be fine with 200k with Matilda, perhaps with change in fact.

You might also want to factor costs of antenatal care (scans, tests, ob gyn visits, etc) which also add up.

Congratulations !
 
If you are not bothered about the non-western thing, I would suggest you look into Sanitorium then.

I'm not saying they are better (whatever that means) but the doctors are generally more qualified (they have a lot more letters behind their names).
It is comparatively less expensive than Matilda.
For vast majority of people who dont live near the Peak, the Happy Valley location is much more convenient.

If you dont have a doctor, the Sanitorium will also have their list of recommended doctors.
 
I've delivered at Matilda, Sanatorium and the Adventist. My preference would be Sanatorium. For me, the faclities were newer and the location was more convenient...also, in the case of emergencies, they are comparatively better equipped to handle the baby than the other two....not trying to scare you hre, just giving you the facts you might want to consider...

Honestly though for me, the most important is the doctor since youre only at the hospital for three days (5days with c-section) and you can only get any real rest at home...that's just from my own experience though....

Congrats! Very excited for you guys!
 
Sanatorium for me too. They are very expensive but for us worth it. They are low on the frills though like teaching how to bathe your baby, providign sanitory pads etc.
 
I delivered at Matilda and the overall experience was good. It was a natural delivery in a private room and the total cost was definitely lower than 150k. They're hard core with breastfeeding so you may not wanna go there if it's not something you care too much about. The room was nice and the staff was very professional. Most of my friends prefer Matilda and Sanatorium among private hospitals for deliveries....
 
Delivered at Matilda and if I had another child in HK I would go to another private hospital - either Sanatorium or Adventist. Had some serious complications (me, not the baby) and they did not have medical staff on hand to deal with it, so things got much worse while waiting for a doctor to come in. Nurses compounded the issue by not ringing a doctor soon enough and putting notes in my chart instead. Believe that both Sanatorium and Adventist keep staff doctors who can handle emergencies on hand at all hours. Apparently not the case with Matilda. Was also generally unimpressed with some of the nursing staff (before the complications) - they were either overworked or just didn't care, but either way I don't have a good impression of them and their competence or kindness.

That said, for a normal, uncomplicated delivery many of my friends have enjoyed Matilda's lovely views. But for me, medical care is more important than aestetics when it comes to assessing the quality of a hospital.
 
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Would agree with Elle as my first also had sine serious complications (the baby, not me) and she was sent to QMH cause they did not have the lifesaving equipment to save her...having said that the equipment needed IS only avaiable at the government hospitals. Having said that though my delivery was supposed to be problem free (no prior complications detected)... so for us it was down to Competency of doctor AND staff. My ObGYN now claims that my first baby should have been delivered 1.5hours than she was...
 
Thanks for everyone's suggestions and wishes, but I suppose I'm getting what I asked for...different opinions about the same hospital!

So I guess @elle and @lesliefu you two weren't so impressed by the lack on hand staff and equipment at Sanitorium?

My finace actually says now that she thinks it's important to find a hospital close to where we are, which is around Yau Ma Tei, so it looks like we're looking at Baptist (oh crap) and St. Teresa. Surely someone's had some experience there?

I'll be really honest, after reading these forums, I feel so vulnerable. One can feel so helpless when it comes to their children. I suppose I won't be able to escape the territory that comes w/being a parent =/
 
I can understand your vulnerability.

There are practical considerations (ie: how far are we from the hospital) and personal ones as well (ie: I feel more comfortable with Westerners looking after my fianc?e). But once you figure out your priorities, then it won't be too overwhelming.

The good news is, you have a sizeable budget to work with. That's a very good start. The second good news is that this forum is a wealth of information for those who are new to parenting & Hong Kong so you've come to the right place. As you can see from the replies, every experience is different since pregnancy is different as well. Pick & choose the information that is relevant to your situation.

Good luck!
 
Would have to agree with your fiancee...close is best especially when she will be having contractions and you will be driving or taking a cab there. Had a friend deliver at baptist about a month ago...it's not luxurious but my friend survived. She basically went there cause her doc only delivers there.

It's nice that budget is not an issue si perhaps you can check out the different types of private rooms these hospitals offer...would fine a OBGYN to deliver first and then have them book the room for you once you decide.

Vulnerable...but would say it's definitely a very exciting process! All the best!
 
chief said:
So I guess @elle and @lesliefu you two weren't so impressed by the lack on hand staff and equipment at Sanitorium?
Click to expand...

I think you've misread their posts. They were suggesting (correctly and I agree with them) that Matilda is not well equipped to deal with real serious issues (if&when they happen).

The fact is only government hospitals are truly equipped for the very difficult cases. Sanitorium happens to be better than most when it comes to having emergency equipment around but even they wont be able to handle the real serious stuff.

No matter, it seems like you are bowing to the wishes of your SO (and you will go for close) and thats perfectly fine. Make sure she is well taken care of and happy with her choices; it will mean one less stress to deal with.
 
I have never delivered private but considering it this time. My choice is Baptist (paid the deposit before the two incidents reported in the news not the thread on this forum) but if money was no bar I would choose between Mathilda and Sanitarium even though I live on the Kowloon side. They are most accomodating to the mum's wishes. Getting from one end of HK to another is not such a big issue and first babies take a long time to come from the start of contractions.

If I were choosing between Baptist and Theresa, I would choose Baptist (I've read scary threads about Theresa also, and basically every single person in my office has delivered in Baptist and was happy). On the Kowloon side my choice would be between Baptist and Union. I would have chosen Union only because of the two incidents at Baptist reported this year.

However, if I had 100,000 or more, as I said I would be choosing between Mathilda and Sanitarium or failing that Canossa. I would pick Sanitarium because it would be closer to get to from Yau Ma Tei than Matilda but if I didn't get a booking at Sanitarium I'd be more than happy at Matilda. (I thought Lesliefu and Elle were talking about experiences at Matilda in their posts).

In terms of dealing with neo-natal emergencies, my understanding is that the public hospitals are the best equipped. However, if your fiance's pregnancy is smooth, I wouldn't make plans for neo-natal emergencies. Worst case, the baby can be transferred to public. If you can afford it, let her have the most pampered delivery she can as well as good care - and that is what you'll get at Matilda/Sanitarium.

I smiled at your use of the term "vulnerable". It's childbirth not rocket science. Things do sometimes go wrong but most of the time, everything is fine. Don't be afraid.
 
Another thumbs down for Matilda, overpriced and money-oriented but understaffed.

Have not been in Sanatorium's maternity ward but tried the pediatric ward and would give it positive reviews.
 
I think the most important thing is to find a doctor that you both feel comfortable with and then see where he/she delivers. It is also good to remember that despite the fact that you have a great budget you might still not get in to the hospital of your choice. Honestly with the crazy system here money often is not enough. It also counts who your doctor is and what his quotas are. dont worry about the island hospitals being oo far from Kowloon - people make it from NT and I actually met someone who came from Schenzen:) I delivered in Matilda and loved it but I hear good things about Sanatorium too. My friend delivered in st Teresa and she wasnt allowed t room in with the baby and the husband was only able to see the baby once a day for an hour or so. At least that is what they said. Good luck with everything - it might make you feel vounerable but you will see it gets very exciting:)
 
I delivered my first at Matilda, and second at Sanatorium. Both are excellent. Should I have a third, will choose Sanatorium again. A few of us here did a pretty detailed review of both the hospitals in another thread recently, let me try to find it when I am on my computer.

Congrats!!!!
 
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