MY Sahara Medical Centre Experience

Struggling with tonsillitis and fever for a few days, I decided to visit a doctor yesterday. Being a Friday, most medical centers were closed, and my prior appointment didn’t work out. So, I headed to Sahara Medical Center near my flat. It was around 7 PM, and only two other patients were waiting. I approached the receptionist and requested an appointment with a General Physician (GP). After waiting for 15 minutes without any update, I decided to leave. As I stood up to leave with my colleagues, the receptionist called us back just as I stepped outside. My colleague convinced me to return and complete the registration process, which cost AED 50—covering the consultation fee as well. The next wait was about 10 minutes. During that time, I noticed a couple speaking with the doctor. What caught my attention was the wife saying, "We can't afford it," followed by a bill of AED 350—I couldn't help but feel like I had walked into one of those hospitals straight out of a movie! Soon, my name was called. A Malayalee nurse (not particularly friendly or good-looking) asked, "Vat is ur name?" followed by, "Are you married?"—a question that seemed irrelevant. I jokingly asked her if that mattered, and she struggled to respond. (In hindsight, I should've realized she was just trying to build rapport.) She then took my temperature and blood pressure, which seemed routine, but asking me to check my weight caught me off guard—though, to be fair, it reminded me that I need to lose a few pounds! Next, a Filipino doctor (again, not very warm or approachable) entered and asked about my symptoms. After I explained my throat pain, ear discomfort, and fever, she examined my mouth and immediately made a sad face. Concerned, I asked what was wrong, and she replied gravely, "It’s very serious. You need an injection." Knowing in advance that the injection cost AED 75, I asked her to explain its purpose. She left the room and returned with a senior Indian doctor—the same one who had been speaking with the couple earlier. The senior doctor asked why I was refusing the injection, and I simply said, "I don’t want it." When I pressed for more details, she admitted it was just an antibiotic. I told her I preferred oral medication instead. Judging by the disappointment on her face, I couldn’t help but feel like she was more concerned about missing out on the AED 75 than my well-being. The conversation then shifted unexpectedly to my weight. Despite mentioning that I was already working on it, they enthusiastically pitched Ayurveda slimming treatments at a special offer. I played along and asked for a brochure. If that wasn’t enough, they also offered a full body check-up for a minimal fee of AED 350—none of which had anything to do with why I was there! After reminding them (again) about my actual health concern, they finally handed me a prescription—which cost another AED 125. For the first time in my life, I refused an injection—not because I was afraid, but because I genuinely felt it was unnecessary and just another way to extract money. As I left, I couldn’t stop thinking about the poor laborers who might visit this center, only to be taken advantage of. Thank goodness I didn’t mention my sinus issues—who knows how much that would have cost me! Clearly, I need to find a more trustworthy medical center soon.