I had an extremely frustrating experience at the hospital . None of the staff spoke English, which made it nearly impossible to communicate my concerns and questions. To make matters worse, they refused to accept card payments, and instead, they provided third-party payment details, which raised a huge financial red flag for me.
To add insult to injury, I was required to pay a deposit of $200 in cash, which I later found out was non-refundable. This is completely unfair and unacceptable. It left me feeling both financially and emotionally distressed, and I wouldn't recommend this hospital to anyone. Clear communication and fair payment practices are fundamental aspects of any healthcare facility, and this hospital failed miserably in both regards.
In addition to the communication and payment issues, I must mention that the hospital was located in a completely unsuitable area for tourists. This made the overall experience even more distressing. Visitors to a foreign country expect medical facilities to be accessible and accommodating, but this hospital was situated in a place that made it extremely inconvenient and uncomfortable for travelers. It's an important factor to consider for anyone planning to visit the area and needing medical care.
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Reply from Ender Satici
representative of Bilge Hospital
Nov 27, 2023
Dear Diane Nailla Joubert,
We sincerely apologize for the challenges you encountered during your recent visit to Private Bagcilar Safak Hospital. Your feedback is highly valuable, and we deeply regret any inconvenience caused.
Acknowledging the importance of effective communication and fair payment practices in a healthcare setting, we are actively addressing the issues you highlighted. Despite our attempts to reach out to you, we have not received any communication from your side. We would like to provide some clarification on specific points to offer our perspective on the situation.
Payment Process: We appreciate your concern and would like to assure you that we take the security and transparency of financial transactions seriously.
To clarify, we communicated that we accept cash payments during our verbal and written interactions. We accommodated your urgent consultation appointment request for the following day. The $200 USD payment you mentioned was a fee for the consultation and preoperative tests, not a deposit. This fee is clearly communicated in the appointment message and is deducted from the operation fee should you decide to proceed with surgery. We scheduled your surgery appointment accordingly upon your request. Despite the initial terms, you later requested SWIFT transfer details. We accommodated this request and provided a bank account solely for your convenience. Upon your subsequent request to cancel the surgery appointment, we promptly accommodated your request. We believe we provided clear communication regarding our payment terms, and we never received a refund request. We understand the significance of clear and fair payment practices and are committed to ensuring a smoother and more trustworthy process for our patients.
Language Barrier: We regret any inconvenience caused by the language barrier. We do have translators available, and even for your last-minute appointment, we facilitated translation services. We were in communication with you and addressed your queries until you have terminated our communication. We apologize if this was not conveyed clearly, and we are committed to enhancing language support for our international patients.
Location Considerations: While we understand the importance of location, Istanbul is a vast city with multiple centers. Bagcilar Safak Hospital is centrally located in Bagcilar, approximately a 30-minute drive from commonly referred tourist areas like Fatih and Beyoglu. We are well-connected through the M7 metro and various public transportation options. While our location may not have been suitable for your specific situation, we believe it is generally convenient. We apologize for any inconvenience and acknowledge the resulting distress. We continue to strive for improved communication and accommodation for patients with urgent appointment requests.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you faced during your visit. Your feedback is crucial in identifying areas for improvement, and we are dedicated to making the necessary changes to provide a better experience for our patients. We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this matter further with you. Please feel free to reach out, and we thank you for your patience and understanding.