DISCOVERY AND SOS INTERNATIONAL - Incompetence, poor service and lack of accountability

<p>I had appendicitis while on holiday in Spain. I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with their international partner, SOS International. SOS took 3 hours to send an email to have me admitted whilst I was sitting in the waiting room. It took 10 phone calls to get an email out of SOS/ Discovery for the hospital to admit me. Due to their delays I only received the necessary surgery after my appendix ruptured - a life threatening condition. <br /><br />Standard IATA guidelines indicated that patients are able to fly home within 4 days after the operation. However, the rupture complications in my case, meant that my returns flights had to be forfeited and I had to stay 10 days - my wife and I had to buy new tickets, more accomodation and additional costs. The rupture could have been avoided if SOS/Discovery had not been *********** and delayed my admittance. How long can it take to send an email to a hospital that you already have a relationship with?<br /><br />I have R80k in costs that I have had to incur because of their incompentence. My wife had to extend her stay on with me to assist with care and the repatriation back to SA while I was still recovering from stomach surgery. It seems that the cost of her flight does not qualify under their 'care benefit'. Discovery feel it was acceptable for a patient to carry 30Kg luggage, get in taxis, moving between locations and the airport on my own. They REFUSE to cover the flights home and phone calls to get them to do their job. They have admitted in writing that there were delays. Yet despite causing financial loss to my family, they refuse to be ACCOUNTABLE. <br /><br />I hope the Council of Medical Schemes reports on how you have failed in your duty to patients. I am disgusted that you do not hold your services providers to account. <br /><br />Let me name and shame some of the representatives that should be held accountable. <br />Meryl Iyer (Executive Relationship Manager - Discovery)<br />Steve Lunt (SOS)</p> <p>Anneli Mazibuko (Discovery)<br />Denise Nair (Discovery)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /></p>