Jon Dunbar is a copy editor at The Korea Times, as well as editor of the Foreign Community page and curator of the Korea Times Archive. If you have suggestions for possible articles, or wish to contribute articles yourself, contact jdunbar@koreatimes.co.kr.
What foreign patients should know about being admitted to Korean hospitals
Employees screening for possible symptoms of fever related to new coronavirus at Severance Hospital in Seoul. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
By Jon Dunbar
By Jon Dunbar
A hospital stay is by nature an unpleasant and burdensome experience. Being admitted to a hospital in Korea is perhaps more pleasant than in many other countries, but there are still many cultural peculiarities a foreign patient should be aware of.
The following recommendations are written based on two extended hospital stays at one of the country's top hospitals, both of which were serious enough that my mobility was limited. Experiences may vary at other hospitals.
By the time I was discharged, I was glad to escape, but sad to say goodbye to the nurses who cared for me for three weeks.
Which hospitals
In an emergency you may not have the option, but some hospitals are better than others and it is best to get into a reputable one. Reputation goes a long way toward measuring the quality of healthcare you'll receive. The top five, all in or near Seoul, are Samsung Medical Center, Asan Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Yonsei Severance Hospital and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. They're the best, and because they're the best they dominate medical resources and services, and because they dominate these, they're the best. Other smaller hospitals will have less resources and may well provide second-rate medical services.
A downside to their popularity is they may not always have enough beds for patients, in which case you may have to be admitted through a trip to the emergency room.
What to bring
It's not a hotel, and you're likely to have ward roommates, so the necessities might come as a surprise.
Televisions are only provided in smaller VIP wards, so for entertainment you're left to your own devices. You are allowed to bring electronics such as a laptop, tablet or phone. But if you want to listen to music or watch videos any time of day, earphones are a must. Charger cables also must not be forgotten. Theft is unheard of, so you could leave your computer out in the open while you are in surgery without worry.
Toiletries are also not provided, so pack what you need, including toothbrush and toothpaste. Also slippers are useful, so you can hop in and out of bed without having to lace up shoes. A reusable water bottle is also a good idea, as plastic water bottles may become a rare commodity during your stay. And if you are immobile, a straw would help. For a brief time I had an air purifier in my room but it was removed, so any devices like this should be brought if needed.
Hospitals usually have convenience stores that sell all these necessities.
Food
Patients receive three meals a day, and a few options are available, although feedback doesn't seem to be accepted. Options may include unspicy, low-fat, low-fiber, etc.
There is a Korean meal that heavily features rice porridge, white kimchi and fish, and also a foreign menu that came with juice and some basic food that may not seem particularly foreign. For a few meals I received a generous helping of salmon which must have been expensive.
The foreign meals are quite expensive, so it is best to rely on Korean meals. However, patients may be receiving foreign meals without knowing it. It is best to save comfort foods for after discharge.
I had heard stories about visitors bringing patients fast food, but there were signs in my ward specifically barring this. However, I was able to eat food from outside with visiting friends in the lobby.
Additionally, every patient has a mini fridge.
Communicating
If you are fluent in Korean and understand the vocabulary related to your affliction, you're in luck. Otherwise, this is not the time to be practicing language. If you can't communicate perfectly with any doctors or nurses, it is best to rely on translation apps.
Most doctors I talked to were fluent in English, and about half of nurses. But the nurses who didn't speak English would keep talking in their language even if it's clear you don't understand perfectly.
Nursing services
Lack of access to nursing services at even big hospitals can cause big problems, but nothing that can't be cured by family support or money.
After I was admitted, everyone kept asking me about family in Korea. I thought they wanted to know emergency contact information or next of kin, but actually they wanted my relatives to come in and volunteer as my nurses. Personally, even if I had family in Korea I would be uncomfortable asking any of them to be my personal nurse. This is how Korean hospitals work, and there is even a small cot beside each patient's bed for a loved one to stay 24 hours a day. The hospital staff were all uncritical of this system, even though it is deeply inconvenient for many foreign patients.
Some wards offer personal nursing staff for extra pay, and they are professional although language ability differs. There are also outside organizations such as the YWCA that offer personal full-time nurses to stand in for the family nursing role. However, when searching for the latter, I was unable to find any English speakers.
Visitors
Visiting hours are normal, usually a couple of hours each day and extra on weekends. However, visitors may be urged to purchase necessities for the patient from the hospital store, including tissues and sanitary pads, as these are things the patient's nursing family member would normally provide. So asking a friend to visit you in the hospital may be pushing a small financial burden on them.
Shortly after I was admitted, the coronavirus quarantine barred visitors from seeing me in my ward. As a result, I had to meet with visitors down in the hospital lobby.
Payment and insurance
At the end of the stay, a bill is presented; an itemized bill might be provided on request. Payment may be transferred at an in-hospital bank or by many other methods.
Hopefully you are insured, which can cut costs by over 50 percent, probably more. The bill will show how much coverage your insurance policy provides.
On my most recent hospital stay, I was eligible for a 90 percent coverage, because my affliction is among a list of rare diseases that are covered under this very generous scheme. This covered not just the affliction but also any other resultant health problems. The only things it didn't cover were foreign meals and extra nursing services. Unfortunately I have not found a complete list of medical problems covered by this scheme.