30 June 2023 09:51 am Views - 135
Ten minutes later the staff say I can’t see the doctor unless I pay another Rs. 1500 rupees as I’m a foreigner
I recently booked to see a skin specialist and paid the rate in advance to an online doctor booking site. They asked me for a passport copy. Why? I sent a copy anyway.
Arrival at the clinic and I’m told to take a seat, the doctor has not arrived. Ten minutes later the staff say I can’t see the doctor unless I pay another Rs. 1500 rupees as I’m a foreigner.
They have a copy of my passport (British) and my name (British) So when did they decide I needed to pay more, could it be when they saw I am white? Obviously, the online booking agent is going to have standard pricing. i.e. the same price for everyone. So, I suspect the doctor is discriminating against them once the foreign patients arrive at the clinic.
Blatant discrimination. So, I decided to take a video of the incident and suddenly the owner of the clinic decides to get involved. He shouts at me, “It’s illegal for you to be videoing here.” I see no sign saying “No photography”.
I asked the owner if he was aware there is discrimination going on. His response is he does not control the doctors who practice in his establishment or how they charge.
The Whinging Pome Random Rule 286:
“If you own it and charge people to use it, you need to take responsibility, not abdicate.”
So, if you get this sort of treatment here in Sri Lanka, blacklist the location/organization, tell your friends and report incidents to the Pricing Watchdog and Office of Fair Trading. Not sure if the last two organizations exist in Sri Lanka. I appreciate your feedback and experiences.
(thewhingingpome.online)