Hospitalization
To make your stay at the Hospital a pleasant one, it is important that you are well informed. We have created an informational brochure about your stay at the Hospital that you can download here:
If at any moment you have any questions please feel free to ask one of our health care professionals or through our contact button.
We wish you a pleasant stay and a speedy recovery!
Your Rights & Duties
As a patient you have the right to receive the best care possible by competent care-givers, but you also have certain duties. This information is important as this will facilitate your stay at the Hospital. Please click here for more information.
Before Admission
In case you need treatment or surgery, the specialist will give you the different forms necessary. If you need an operation, you have to pass by our pre-screening department first. The specialist will determine the date.
If it is for an operation that will need no more than one day, you will go to our 'Ambulatory Care' and they may call you one day ahead. Even for a clinical admission it may so happen that they might call you just one day ahead.
If the operation is cancelled, the secretary of the specialist will inform you.
If you have an elective operation, you need to be at the Admissions department of our Hospital before noon. Please bring your valid ID and valid Insurance.
Our Admissions Department is open from Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and can be reached by (+297) 527 4001.
Pre-screening
Before your operation you will need to go through pre-screening. During the
screening you will be asked to answer a couple of questions, such as whether you were admitted at our Hospital for a medical treatment during the last month or perhaps abroad of if you have specific dietary needs etc.
Medication
It is important to have your list of medications at hand. You can get this at your pharmacy. Please have this with you when admitted to our hospital together with the medication itself, whether they are prescribed medications or not, please bring them all. Always inform the specialist at our Hospital about their real use as this may differ from from what the doctor initially prescribed.
Also inform the specialist if you have an allergy or are sensitive to any ingredients or material so that the specialist can decide whether to continue with the prescribed medication/treatment or to prescribe a different one that best suits your current medical situation.
In order to provide optimal care it may be necessary for us to contact your doctor or pharmacist for information concerning your medication(s).
If for one reason or another you object to this, please state so in writing to our Hospital's Pharmacy. our Hospital pharmacists will always check your medications and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact them.
Preparations at home
Before your admission it is important to prepare for your stay. Items to bring for your stay at our Hospital:
- Valid identification
- Insurance
- Sufficient clean clothes that are comfortable to wear and slippers
- Personal items such as toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, hairbrush, prescription glasses and spectacle case, dentures and denture box to keep safe.
- Shaving items
- Small amount of money (if you so desire)
- Headphone
- Books or magazines for reading, games, tablet or other device, handicrafts etc
- Your own wheelchair/ walker with your name, telephone and address
We advise our patients to only bring what is necessary for the stay at our
Hospital. We do not recommend to carry large amount of money, jewelry and/ or valuable documents. If a personal belonging gets lost or damaged, the Hospital is not responsible.
Do not eat or drink, not even water, the evening before your one-day admission after 12 a.m. Smoking and chewing gum are not allowed either. To prevent vomiting during or after surgery we advice not to eat too much on the evening before your one-day admission.
Please do not apply any makeup and remove all nail polish before admission.
Day of Admission
The admissions department will inform you which care unit you will stay and which room. Our healthcare staff will pick you up at Admissions department. Family/friends may accompany you to the indicated care unit.
The hospital follows these rules at the time of selecting your room:
- You will be assigned to the care unit of your medical specialist which may either be in Tower A or Tower B depending on the medical specialty.
- At the care unit our staff will check which room and bed is available. It may happen that a patient needs to change rooms because another patient may need the room due to medical reasons.
- Please keep in mind that it may be a possibility that you have to stay in a mixed
room, meaning that male and female patients need to share the room. - If you are admitted after 11:00 a.m. please keep in mind that you may not receive lunch that day to the kitchen's schedule.
Departments have one (1), two (2) and four (4) person rooms. Each room has its own toilet and bathroom. Each patient will have their own closet and nightstand available. Please keep in mind the items you need to bring during your stay.
During your stay
Each patient receives a wristband with personal information. It is mandatory to wear this wristband. It is used to identify each patient and avoid confusion when taking tests, for treatment and when registering your medical report. It is important to check the information to verify that it is complete and correct. If there is any information that is not correct please let us know immediately.
Information about your health is private. We only give information to you
personally and with your permission to the contact person indicated at the time of admission. Our nursing staff will ask for the telephone number of two(2) contact persons authorized by you to receive information [medical]. Without your permission, we will not provide information. All of our staff has the obligation to respect patient privacy.
For general information about our care units please click here.
Each patient is treated by the specialist through a referral letter from the family physician/ general practitioner. Of course, your specialist is not available 24/7 and you may be visited by another specialist who substitutes. They consult with each other on a daily basis regarding their patients and register everything in the patient's medical record. Your specialist will discuss any tests and/or medical treatment with you. You can also ask the ward doctor or nurse any question you may have.
We count on the patient's cooperation for treatment(s) and/or test(s) that have been agreed upon. In case the treatment result is not beneficial or if you experience side effects, please report this to your doctor or nurse immediately for further action. This is also the case for medication, please report right away if something seems off.
If you do not want a treatment or want to stop one, you may do so. Just like a specialist also has the right to do so in the event a patient does not hold up their end of the agreement made. In such a case, the doctor will handover the treatment to a colleague after consulting with one another.
Some more things to keep in mind during your stay:
- Leaving your room: It is good for a patient to walk around. Please inform your nurse that you would like to take a walk. It depends on your medical situation and schedule if possible. Please be back on time for your test or for mealtime. Always be back by 9:00pm and do not go to another care unit of space not designated for patients. Areas to relax are our healing garden, the 'chapel' or the art gallery in Area A.
- Leaving the Hospital: You may take a walk on the Hospital's premises but are not allowed to leave without medical permission and is at your own responsibility. This rule is to protect the interest of our patients' wellbeing, treatment, security and care. If you still want to leave, you will need to sign a document that this is on your own risk.
- Night rest: Different areas of the Hospital will be closed and lights are out at 9:00 pm. Please rest sufficiently for your recovery and do not disturb other patients in your room or close by.
- Nutrition: It is very important for your recovery to be nourished. You will receive a menu on a daily basis to choose your meal for the next day. It may also happen that you are described a specific diet by your specialist or our dietician. We take into account any dietary needs you may have due to religion or principles e.g. vegetarian. If you need more information please ask your nutrition assistant who passes by 3 times a day for something to drink. We do not advise to bring food from home. It may be a nuisance to others and may not be advisable due to your medical condition.
- Code of conduct: Our patients and visitors should have a pleasant, peaceful, secure & safe stay. Therefore, we expect proper behavior from all caregivers and staff and also from patients and visitors. Mutual respect and understanding is very important. Please click here for more information.
For information about our visiting hours please click here.
Discharge information
During admission a tentative date for discharge may be given to you or your family. Your specialist will inform you about your discharge and provide information about your health situation, any necessary after-care treatment(s) or appointment at the clinic.
If necessary your specialist will prescribe medication or if you need to follow a certain treatment. The specialist will send a letter to your family physician about your admission at our hospital. Your family physician will follow up if necessary.
Please do not drive right after your admission. It may affect your attention on the road which may be dangerous in traffic. If you do not have someone to pick you up, we advise you to take a taxi. Please note that this is not covered by the hospital.
- Documents: If you require any documents such as proof of admission and discharge, please inquire your specialist or the ward doctor.
- Post-hospital assistance: You may need assistance of the White Yellow Cross or other care organization back at home. They offer help with personal and health care, new way of living, medication, diets, asisstance materials and any questions you may have. In some cases this has be requested ahead of time during your admission with your permission. For your own tranquility and health it is important to take the advice and explanation from your doctor how to continue your care at home.
- Quality control: Our Hospital is obliged to systematically control and improve care. In this, Hospital uses patient data for example the reason why a patient is admitted or if a complication arose. Also data from the doctor that admitted the patient. On the basis of certain results measures can be taken to improve quality of care. All data is used completely anonymous. Patient data is private and is being protected rigorously. If you have any objections to using your information anonymously, please send this in writing to our Board of Directors.
- Survey-Duna bo opinion: It is very important to us to receive your opinion about your stay and your admission experience. Our survey at the end of your stay will help us improve and make necessary changes. Every care unit has a tablet available with the survey in four different languages: English, Dutch, Papiamento and Spanish.
If you have any complaints, please find information about our complaints procedure and our complaints mediator here.
We are doing our utmost to make your stay as pleasant as possible while providing the quality care you deserve. If you have any questions please ask one of our staff members. If you have any comments, suggestions or anything else, we would like to hear from you. You can contact us through our communications department: communicatie@hoharuba.com.