Sankara Eye Hospital Coimbatore — Local services in North Zone

It was one of the best experiences of any I have had in my entire 60 odd years. And that includes my experiences at hospitals in the US where I spent over a decade and half. Therefore it is only fair to spend some time writing regarding this positive experience. After my wife got fed up with the endless queues and delays in our local government hospital, I started researching the net for possible eye hospitals I could take the patient to, a destitute from Nagercoil in her senior years, whom we gave shelter to at our home. She could hardly see and we were certain that it was due to cataract. I also made enquiries at the local private Eye Hospitals about the time frame and expenditures. On learning of Sankara Eye Foundation, I live chatted on net with them and was assured of a call back ASAP. And within an hour I got a call from Mr Ashwathaman, Unit head of Sankara Eye Hospital, Sathy Road, Coimbatore. I explained my requirements and limitations, being that I needed to get back to Thrissur on the same day and that the patient was penniless. He promised me all assistance and put me through to Ms Shyla who gave a rough estimate and what I could expect from the Hospital. The very same evening I received intimation of an appointment with Dr Reddy himself who was the Foundation's Consultant in Cataract Surgery, and that too on the day of my choosing! On reaching the Hospital, Mr Ashwathaman himself came over and put us quickly through the registration process, tests and scans and then took us to Dr Reddy. Doctor confirmed the need for an immediate operation. Any further delay would have been disastrous for her vision. Thereafter Ms Shyla helped us to have the operation fixed on the same day by another surgeon. The call for urgency and immediate action was responded well by the staff. By 12 pm, exactly after 3 hours of us reaching the Hospital, after all the tests, consultation and preparations the patient entered the operation theatre! And by 4 pm we were out of the hospital with medicines, detailed instructions on the medications and restrictions the patient must adhere to during the follow up period. It was a day which went off like a dream. What I appreciated most about this hospital were the charmingly cordial, helpful and cooperative staff (beginning with the Unit Head, Dr Reddy, Ms Shyla to mention just a few), explicit, clear instructions, efficient and courteous handling of patients by each and every staff whether they were paramedics or other administrative staff, cleanliness of the hospital, preventive care, clean spaces with well furnished waiting areas and clean toilet facilities. The whole system was well co-ordinated moving fast and efficient like a well oiled engine. The hospital campus was well maintained, aesthetically designed and landscaped. It had sufficient parking spaces and had a well stocked, clean, fair priced canteen which served even meals. To top it all, the expenditure I incurred was lesser than the local eye hospitals at Thrissur. And I got this wonderful experience for a minimal price. And from this amount Sankara Eye Foundation would conduct four free operations to save vision of four rural poor people! Amazing, isn't it? Now the patient Smt Vijaya Kumari, is exhilarated with the vision that she regained at Sankara Eye Hospital, Sathy Road, Coimbatore and we all are very grateful to the doctors and staff of this Hospital in particular and to the Foundation itself for the great work they are doing to save vision of the rural poor, children...

SLOW Eye Hospital:

காத்திருந்து காத்திருந்து காலங்கள் போகுதடி

"Wait Wait & Exhaust"

Every time you go, you get one kind of WORST EXPERIENCE

One Of TOP WORST EYE Hospital in handling Patients..

I am posting this review after visiting this hospital 10+ times in short period of time.(MY FATE)

Reception - Token system & Billing Slow)

Power Checkup - Moves Somewhat Faster

Dilution Process - Nurses Don't check at time after dilution

Assistant Doctors - Don't Respond in LOCAL Language, speaks in Malayalam to elder patients.Even North Indian nurse's try to speak Tamil with locals.

Main Doctor - Have to wait for visiting main doctors, They Didn't explain the problem clearly to patients or attender, Only simple words like surgery needed).

Final Checkup - If you're elder person straight Operation only, otherwise get prescription from optical. Good thing is Nowadays they don't compel to Buy Specs from them.

Pharmacy - Sometimes there is only one Lady in pharmacy takes much queue/time to bill and dispatch items... Main 1 item is not available needed for surgery, they are asking to buy from outside. Not stocking properly..

Main Problem is full of Kerala people's employed, so if any kerala patient came for check up. With them One employee goes with them and provide detailed information it's like EXPRESS Consultation for them.).

Lab Section - is one of the MOST SLOW you will get Frustrated, for simple blood or urine test it takes 1.30hrs to call Patients for sample.. and extra 2.30hrs + for Doctor Check-up.

SURGERY - Beware AVOID retina surgery here, after 1st review they will say Blood is still there, Then have to do another MINOR SURGERY Again to remove it.

1st we thought it's for ourselves only until we meet another known person with same type of Retina Operation ( did the same operation there, and they said blood left and he visited again 2 times for Procedures.)

SCAN REPORT SCAM - They get ₹1000's for scans, but they don't give reports when ask it's for their reference. if we ask for COPY they are asking to pay again same amount for just ₹2rs Scan Printouts.. so pay 500 for scan and extra 500 for report of needed.

If you go via CASHLESS INSURANCE or REIMBURSEMENT you got pain in a**, They don't send Detailed Bill to Insurance Company, the send summary and the insurance company consider as COMPOSITE PACKAGE (which in star health don't Pay fully, 20% loss for us). If you went to get sign in form for Reimbursement the lady get the documents and ask to come next review time (which is 6+ days for me. It's just ONE Page that to Stamp half and write few little words).

Must not have choose this hospital for my mother's surgery, not satisfied completely via service..

FREE TRUST ACTIVITIES - What's sad is how they treat FREE Camp Persons, Nurse & even watchman yelling at them in 1st floor. ZERO RESPECT if you go via Free camp or discounted via trust...No cleanliness also.

Room allocated for us was okay but bathroom has stains..

If you visit for EYE CHECKUP it's okay, otherwise it's worst for Surgery.

Here everyone don't work properly SIDE-EFFECTS of...

I was at sankara... Came for a surgery for my mother. Everywhere u go u can hear "pay the bill or cash"... You can hear it loud and clear... Well of course this is not a charity organization... But u needn't be such blood hounds too... They asked my mom to eat a very light breakfast in the morning around 7. She is 60 years old... there was no call for the surgery...i.e., at 1.30 pm... Everybody was so lethargic there... As if I am begging for their service... Well I can't complaint abt the doctor who saw her or the counselor who guided us... But the nurses, cashier, insurance desk, pharmacist.. God they all have a face which would make u cringe... And now the room which was given to us... It had a foul smell... Like I kinda puked and the pipes doesn't work... No water... It was crazy... It stinked and it was shabby... Not sure whether it was sanitized... I might be blacklisted from their hospital for this... :D But they are pathetic... As this was a nearby one for us... We opted this.... wouldn't say anything else would be better.... But all service sectors are mad abt money... But a decorum can be maintained... At least to a certain extent... We ar humans after all... The rooms are placed near general op... Ppl keep on moving... There is no privacy... I can write a long story... I can't say I would never visit back... But it's horrible... I will think twice next time...

The nurse made sure that she doesn't inform me abt my mom being moved to a room after surgery... My mom heard her backbiting abt us to the anaesthetist.. the insurance lady never sent the complete set of bills to the insurer the first day.. the second day also she didn't. She wanted to come back the next day... I paid for everything even though I wanted cashless... The canteen will not serve food in the room for the patient... There's a huge list...

Our counsellor obviously helped so much... And our doctor was a great woman... But the management doesn't look onto to many things I suppose... Grow up... U really should... May be u have the cheapest cost for surgeries and other eye related ailments... But that is not good enough if u don't take care of ur patients...

And the insurance didn't get thru until noon today and I was asked to pay etc 2k... Without which I would not be discharged... They had bluntly put Advance on receipt... The insurance got thru around 2pm... The desk never got back to me for reimbursement... I have to go back and beg for my money again tomo...

The service is giving me...