Vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) implantation in 2 Neurosurgery clinics in Barranquilla

Malpractice. My grandmother was left to die. After an isquémic stroke. Proper measures were not taken within first 6 hours. Instead of ICU, she was put in a regular room. Nurses shifts had no records of prior shifts. Avoid at all costs.

I was supposed to have surgery in this clinic on 10/17/22. I arrived around 10:30 at the O.R floor, 4th floor in the building, and no one was there. The reception desk was dark with zero employees. While I sat waiting for someone to show up I looked at my paperwork handed to me at check-in, when I realized they had me as a Colombian citizen born in Barranquilla. I'm a U.S citizen. The address, phone number, and emergency contact provided by me earlier had been overlooked and ignored. I went downstairs and corrected it. Finally, the nurse showed up; she was a nice lady. There isn't anything negative to say about her. Around 3:30 a nurse assistant brings a wheelchair and wheels me into the OR. My surgeon, Dr. Carlos Cala was running late, she said. The O.R had a two way-in, bidirectional, restaurant style, swing door with small windows. At his point I had not been sedated, medicated, nor given a relaxant to prepared me for the cultural shock I was about to experience. There was, right in the middle of the room, an overwhelming sight of a surgical bed dressed in brown sheets ready for a bloodbath; and a dented, shallow bucket, right at my feet. The pan was wide enough for my feet to fit in. The N.A explained to me that she was going to bathe me with antiseptics and soap before surgery. I followed her with my gaze, noticing a disturbing sight of two soiled, worn out, filthy, and grotty, styrofoam coolers. There they kept the antiseptic and soap warm that she was about to use on me. She asked me to stand in the pan facing the door and those swinging doors started to open and close while medical staff came in and out. I was naked and a swing away to be seen by everyone sitting at the desk just outside the OR (recovery area). Then, as I’m looking around in dismay, I spotted a recording video camera IN the OR. All the feelings of humiliation, indignity, disrespect, and violation of privacy took over me at this point. I complained about this to the NA and she called the floor manager. The manager explained to me that the video was for liability reasons and to cover their backs, privacy wasn't a concern to them and video recording was a common practice. I requested an appointment with the clinic’s director and It seemed as if I threw a stone in a hornets nest. The floor manager called the anesthesiologist, Dr. Bernal, and he asked me what was the problem. All of this time I was still naked. I tried to explain to him that I felt my privacy was not being respected as I had never gone through anything like I was experiencing at that moment before and his replied was: “you should go back to the United States and get surgery there.” I don’t know what was more upsetting; the fact that this doctor represented COLOMBIA so poorly, not aspiring to anything beyond mediocrity as a professional, stepping over his Hippocratic Oath, and having a condescending tone towards a CUSTOMER (I’m a paying client in a private clinic, I reminded him), or the fact that his lack of character, dignity, and vulgar behavior, were an irrevocable proof of his unprofessionalism. When did lack of HYGIENE and violation of privacy became a common practice in healthcare?! Both, Dr. Bernal and the floor manager, proceeded to tell me to calm down and that if I wasn’t ready for surgery I could reschedule. I kept saying that I still was interested in an appt with the clinic’s manager. The floor manager kept hinting that there was not going to be a surgery if I insisted to see the director because that meant I was upset, while Dr. Bernal kept using my request as leverage pertaining to the final success and outcome of the surgery. Again, all of this time I was naked. Because I didn’t shut up and submissively obeyed, the surgery was canceled and I was scorted out of the OR while the nurse assistant was making signs behind me at everyone we were passing by (medical staff, patients, and their families around) that I was crazy. I did speak to the director days later. Even though he was nice, I opted to have my surgery elsewhere. Avoid at all cost unless you're dying.

Good service but they would have bigger watings rooms...

My 9-year-old daughter was hospitalized for 4 days and we did very well. Very good service, we felt comfortable and calm.

The truth is I feel that it is the best clinics in the city. excellent service from doctors and nurses, I feel that it is a quality clinic and they are also very friendly, always with a big smile

Excellent service and the place is very excellent. They are efficient and are clear and transparent. I was very satisfied

I found some english speaking doctors here and they have an international office to help you translate if you dont speak spanish. Thank you very much Carolina 🙏

Horrible! Dont go to this clinic. The most unfriendly employees I have experienced in this Hospital. Yes I do speak spanish but once I didnt understand smth the lady just ignored me! Errors start already in front of the Clinic. Apparently they don't know the difference between a Swiss flag and a medical (red!!!) cross. So my question: is this a Swiss Clinic??? Of course not...

My mom got a well planned surgery in this Clinic. Excellent outstanding service what a relief. Fast service, very diligent and well trained all staff. Great place to get well and get some recovery. If you get sick go there you will be fine quickly. Do not visit Los Nogales clinic or La Colina. Marly is the best! Thank you all for your service! Mom is doing great. The doctor was very profesional!

What a slow clinic! They make him come on time but he is late in his shifts, no one comes out to give a reason. The only redeemable thing is the girl at the reception, the rest is a terrible service, the air conditioning in the surgery waiting room does not work. If you can avoid using their services, almost 8 hours for a simple surgery. The worst thing is that EPS SURA has an agreement with them but it is horrible!! Better care has a neighborhood pharmacy than a private clinic

The waiting room is horrible. There are patients lying everywhere on the floor. The runners. There is no decent place for the elderly while they undergo examinations and remain under observation. There is one bathroom for many people. And they don't clean it. This is in the emergency room. It is a site where all rights are violated

I hae been there a few times, because my insurance has them as a provider. Once I managed to secure an appointment, all works; however setting up an appointment can be a formidable task, as they dont answer the phone and if they do they pass the buck to sumeone else, or worse they ask you to call a bunch of wrong numbers. The whatsup useless. Today I spent 4 hours trying to get an apointment without any luck. I will soon go in person with a spy camera and will publish my experience on all available social media. What a shame, good doctors and deplorable IT and customer service. Management is unreachable for some strange reason (NOT !!!)

Terrible admin care. There is no real patient ownership and each unit blames the other. There is deep lack of coordination among stakeholders. Patient has been to the hospital 3 times now to get surgery and something always fails because there is lack of coordination and communication between staff. There is need for a real overhaul. Very sad to see this historically best-in-class hospital treat patients this way.

First off this is the best hospital in Bogota according to the locals and my Colombian friends. I came here on a work trip and had an emergency operation to remove my appendix. I came in at 2am, got the diagnosis at 3:30am and they didn’t operate on me until 12pm. The delay was due to the incompetent hospital admin people dealing with my work insurance. I offered to pay out of pocket to get things rolling but they refused. They told me they don’t want double payment incase the insurance goes through. I definitely suggest bringing a Spanish speaker here if you don’t speed to local language because most of the staff don’t speak english. Before the surgery, I had to sign a bunch of disclaimers and waivers which were all in Spanish. My surgery was great. The surgeon spoke good english and was very professional. He reassured that I’m not going to die. As far as hygiene goes, the facility looks clean except there were a few times I caught my nurses taking my blood and iv out without wearing any gloves. Make sure you have money before coming to the hospital. They wont operate on you until payment is confirmed. Last but not least bring a blanket and pillow so you can sleep on the bench while you wait to be seen. Overall I’m grateful for the nurses and Drs that saved my life. My appendix was on the verge of bursting. I would like to give this place a 5 stars had it not been for the front desk admin people.

I had to get a covid antigen test prior to flying back to the US, and was reading reviews at labs all over Bogota, stating the antigen test took 5-7 days to come back. I was worried that would be the case here, so when we went in, I asked, and they said only 4 hrs at the most (it took about 2 hrs, yay!). The staff was so kind and helpful, even though we understood hardly any Spanish. They were very patient with us and we were able to get all the paperwork filled out without any problems. Also, the antigen test was only 120,000 COP, which was better than anywhere else I had found at the time.

Super-delayed patient care, I don't want to imagine where a calamity happens and more than 30 people arrive, they will die here, I have a pain in my stomach since 4 in the morning, diarrhea, vomiting, fever and chills, I arrived at 3:00 pm and it's 6:00 pm and they don't attend to me, I have to writhe in pain to be attended to.

God bless every health worker in this hospital, those in surveillance, those in cleaning, those in the nutrition department, and especially the ophthalmological doctors, the retinologist, and resident doctors, and Yenny at the reception. And social work. Excellent service, in care and procedures, hospital, and control. Thank you very much for the great service you provided us on the two occasions we came. Thanks to the timely intervention they gave my mom, she is doing very well. We didn't do well in the children's cardio, nor in the clinic at the national university. They have a long way to go to know that the patient deserves respect and timely attention. THANK YOU HOSPITAL SAMARITANA, FOR YOUR EXCELLENT SERVICE. VERY GOOD ADMINISTRATION OF THE HOSPITAL, AND VERY GOOD CARE AND DIAGNOSIS BY THE SPECIALISTS. Since you are admitted for emergencies, the attention is very fast and timely. GOD CONTINUE BLESSING YOU 🙏.

Good hospital services

They should burn this place and build a real hospital with real doctors. If you enter this hospital on a holiday, you will be left to die.

The international clients WhatsApp line is the worst I have experienced within the business in Medellin. I was trying to get an appointment for an MRI and responses were just like automatic system that left you for hours with no responses. If you call nobody answers. When finally someone responds your multiple messages, leaves again with no answers. I never expected such a poor service from such a reputable institution. I started around 10:00 AM and at 2:48 PM still wasn't able to get any availability for the appointment. I told them never mind and they respond to that message at 5:35 PM! I understand if the people is to busy, but so that means they need to hire more people for the job.

I paid for an Antigen COVID test and haven't received the results from the examination even as they promised to send them within 3 hours to my email address and provide access on there website! On requests I couldn't reach anyone. Thats fraud and should be a 0 Star Rating!

They do not do their job well, 7 hours in the emergency room and do not attend and then say that they cannot attend to a patient

Undoubtedly one of my best experiences, location in the center of the city, excellent medical and administrative staff, old but well-kept infrastructure, spacious with gardens.

This opinion is directed to block 6 of the hospital, which is in an area where you can see people who consume drugs, although there is surveillance and once inside the hospital it is safer, if it is scary, at least walk to the hospital at dawn, and block 6 is opened at 6 in the morning and meanwhile everything is dark or with little light, a perfect place for homeless people, you have to travel with great caution and at least if you are patient and come from somewhere other than Medellín, it is not advisable to be in line before 6 in the morning to check in at block 6, arrive with 5 minutes left or at 6:00 am, there a guard opens the door and when you are already inside the place is much more pleasant and neat, there is a waiting room with chairs where you can wait for them to call you for the billing card, there are elevators, there is natural ventilation in that waiting room, almost all the staff there are friendly to the extent they should be. I give it a 3 star rating, for a not very pleasant event that I had to go through in there, I think that of all the possible days in which that bad event had to happen, it happened just on the day of my appointment, I don't know who it was from the fault of that negligence but thanks to a call to my eps I was able to quickly solve that difficulty so as not to continue in that unpleasant situation in that hospital block.