Diary of Parenting Overseas...Entry #2

Entry #2: Scheduling Appointments
We began making appointments around our 4th week of pregnancy. Our doctor had us schedule appointments every 3 weeks. After our 28th week, she began seeing us every 2 weeks, and after our 34th week, we began seeing her weekly.

Our facility is through a large hospital that has sites all over the NCR area. Therefore, our doctor is only at our particular facility for 2-3 hours a day. Taking into consideration this piece of information, along with the fact that there are at least 2 million people living in our city, and the cultural understanding that most Indians run late, the hospital will more than likely schedule 3 patients for every scheduled time slot. This ensures that the doctor will constantly be seeing a patient and that he/she will possibly see more than 1 patient in each time slot in order to get to cover all appointments within the time they are at the facility. So it helps to make sure you are right on time for your appointment if you want to go first. Otherwise, know that the patient that got there before you with the same appointment time will go first.

Each doctor's visit costs Rs 350 which is just over $7.00. You are usually required to pay this fee BEFORE your appointment. The receptionist prints out two receipts: on is given to you and the other is given to your doctor by a nurse upon your arrival into his/her office. Anything apart from this is a paid for separately.

Before leaving the facility, we recommend you schedule your next appointment.

*All facts are based on our experience in Gurgaon at the Cradle through Apollo Hospital.