r/davao • u/Fun_Guard9086 • 9h ago
HELP / RECOMMEND SPMC OB ER Worst Experience | Sharing My 2026 Experience
Sharing my recent experience with the SPMC OB ER. Honestly, since 2018, nothing has changed.
My advice to those who have the budget is, if possible, avail of a package from a private hospital, especially if you’re having a normal delivery. Save up beforehand and don’t try to cut costs if you can afford it.
If you’re having a CS or really don’t have the budget, you can apply for the Zero Billing Program or NBB. Davao Doc, San Pedro, and Brokenshire have these programs now for both normal delivery and CS, although they are subject to approval. Better apply before you reach 6 months of pregnancy and get a referral from a private doctor, or walk in at Davao Doc. From what I’ve heard, the feedback has mostly been positive.
Now, here’s my experience with SPMC in 2026.
With my two previous pregnancies, I had my checkups with a private OB and would usually just ask for a referral when needed. I did the same with my third pregnancy, but this time my situation is different because I’m experiencing preterm labor. My private OB advised me to go to the SPMC ER.
When you arrive, they triage you, interview you, and check your laboratory results, including your ultrasound. It’s honestly better to have your records with you because you can get scolded if you don’t have any records or previous checkups, which is understandable because they need information about your pregnancy to properly assess you.
I also want to say that some of the nurses in the OB ER were actually kind and decent when dealing with patients.
However, with some of the doctors, I noticed that they would approach patients while shouting or speaking harshly, which can feel very humiliating. If you take a few seconds longer during an IE, they can already get irritated or scold you.
For example, when you have a big belly, you have to lie down on the bed and remove your underwear and pants for the examination. That naturally takes a little time. Even if it takes 5 to 10 seconds, they can already get annoyed.
Some patients, especially those experiencing an IE for the first time, may instinctively lift their butt even just a little because, of course, the procedure can be painful and uncomfortable. Instead of calmly guiding them, some doctors would shout, and I’ve even seen them hit the patient while saying, “Ma’am, ayaw itaas ang lobot!”
I’ve also heard some doctors say things like, “Katong nagbuhat mo ug bata, dili lagi sakit, ma’am!?”
I understand that they need the patient to stay in the proper position for the examination, but there are better and more professional ways to communicate that. Saying things like this, especially loudly while other patients can hear, is quite unprofessional and can be very humiliating for someone who is already in pain and experiencing the procedure for the first time.
I know there are a lot of patients. I know their workload is heavy. But I don’t think it’s necessary to shout at or humiliate patients.
I understand their process and system. You have to answer quickly, know the details of your pregnancy and medical history, and disclose everything because they have many patients to attend to.
But then even the janitors, guards, and midwives would scold patients. Sometimes the midwife would correct patients loudly in front of everyone.
And what’s worse is that everyone lining up in the ER can hear your diagnosis.
They speak loudly when discussing your case or when they don’t understand something in your medical records. I understand that you’re in an ER and there are no private rooms, but there should still be some level of privacy.
Imagine you’re waiting in line and instead of asking you to come closer and speaking to you privately, they shout questions at you about your condition, why you’re there, what happened, and then scold you while everyone around you can hear.
I also witnessed students practicing IV insertion on patients. I saw several instances where the student nurse struggled with multiple attempts. The patient was already in pain and in labor, and it just made the situation even more difficult because they were being used for practice.
If you decline, they can even get upset.
The nurses do help patients, and I acknowledge that. But these experiences were still very difficult to witness.
I’m currently experiencing preterm labor. Two of my previous babies were born at around 36 weeks, and now that I’m 35 weeks, I’m worried about fetal distress. That’s why I went to the ER twice, just so I could at least be monitored and know whether I was already progressing into active labor.
Then Doctor shouted:
“Asa ni si [my last name], ma’am? Ngano sige ka’g anhi diri? Ganahan kaayo mo magbalik-balik diri. Premature pa imong baby, wala pa nag-open imong cervix. Dili ni hotel diri, ma’am ha! Pag-OPD mo.”
In my defense, how am I supposed to know if my cervix is already open or if my baby is okay?
No one would willingly spend 10 hours waiting in an ER just because they wanted to hang out.
I wasn’t there for fun. I was scared.
There was no advice given to me to rest, no other tests were requested, and they didn’t even check the laboratory results I already had.
Then the OB said something like, “Ay, naa diay ka ani?”
I explained that I had already completed all my tests and that my private OB, whom I’ve been seeing since 2018, had referred me to SPMC.
The OB sarcastically responded, “Oh well, I don’t care. Wala na kay mabuhat. Mo-follow ka sa amo kay diri ka manganak balik 2 weeks after.”
And I was honestly stunned.
Like, are you really sure? Where did that attitude come from?
And just to be clear, we can wait. We are not expecting a fast process or convenience because we know how crowded SPMC is. We know how heavy their workload is. We know the usual process and system in SPMC, and we are willing to wait and follow the process.
But we deserve to be treated humanely.
Patients don’t deserve to be shamed just because we are not paying anything or because the staff have too many patients to handle.
We understand that they are overwhelmed. We understand that they have a huge number of patients to attend to. But that doesn’t mean we should have to endure the rudeness, shouting, and humiliation.
We are not asking for special treatment. We are not asking them to prioritize us.
We are simply asking to be treated with basic respect and dignity.
So I decided that, for me, getting zero billing is not worth it anymore. It feels like I’m selling my dignity and peace of mind just to save money.
This time, I’ve decided to go back to my private OB and pay out of pocket.
I’ve been crying and feeling extremely frustrated.
I know public hospitals are overwhelmed. I know healthcare workers have difficult jobs and deal with an enormous number of patients every day. I also know that patients have a responsibility to cooperate and understand the process.
But patients are human too.
Especially when you’re pregnant, experiencing preterm labor, scared about your baby, and already in pain, you should not be made to feel ashamed for seeking medical help.
I’m sharing this because I know many people depend on SPMC because private healthcare is expensive. I’m not saying everyone there is like this because, as I mentioned, I also encountered nurses who were kind and helpful.
I’m simply sharing my personal experience and why, after this experience, I’ve decided that I would rather find a way to pay for private care than go through the same experience again.
