<i>The no-English in Italian hospital BS is just that</i>

That is an over-extended generalization, as I experienced it. And to extend my experience in a 30 year period to another Latin country, the personnel in the emergency room in Strasbourg, the hospital in Coulommiers, and more recently the hospital and other medical services in the Dordogne and southern Limousin spoke no English with the exception of one orthopedic doctor and a part-time visiting nurse.

Well, if you want a real hospital nightmare in Venice, visit the hospital library, and look at the display of vintage surgical instruments and documents explaining how to use them.

“Select appropriate saw, cut bone.”

The library has a most beautiful decorated ceiling.

Il eut peut-être été sage voire judicieux de choisir la langue de Voltaire comme facilité de communication avec le personnel vénitien.

Pariswat, I put my trust in the language of Shakespear. Voltaire Schmoltair!

Can't blame you thin !

But I think Italian aristocracy fancied learning french instead of English.
A choice that reflects snobism instead of pragmatism.
Ah. Be able to make wrong choice for the beauty of it.

So, French is the lingua franca?

This is All I’m going to say and cannot believe how rude many people are in their replies. Thank you to the people who were sympathetic.

First of all, I’m not a “troll” and did not make this up! It’s not BS as some have crudely insinuated. And I’m not “cutting and pasting” all over the Internet. I read someone else’s experience at the same hospital and and how similar it was which prompted me to write this. I sure would have liked to have known this ahead of time! I was not trying to say all hospitals in Italy are bad but that I did not have a good experience at all. And don’t criticize my husband. He did his best trying to take care of me and DID try to find someone to translate to no avail. We were trying to get through this the best we could. Even the Rescue nurse could not believe their attitude and said she had never been treated like she was there. My husband took the taxis everyday sometimes being let off at random stops not knowing where he was and when he asked for help...nothing.

Yes the surgeons did a good job thank goodness because I didn’t know what they were doing to me. And there was one nurse who was kind but overall I was totally at their mercy.

Many of you are obviously world travelers and more experienced than we were. I had never had anything like this happen while traveling and had not used travel insurance but was glad I had it. And my hospital stay was not FREE like some said. The insurance company paid everything at the hospital and were in communication with us though not always promptly. We literally called them (with the guide) from the ER to get instructions. The company was Travel Safe. I’m not going to mention the tour company as they stayed with me from the time it happened at 9am until late that night but had to continue with the group. They checked in with us every day and made sure all the insurance was taken care of. Yes, the boat captain definitely could have done more....at least calling for an ambulance or taking us closer to the boat for the hospital.

I’m sure to everyone it just seemed like I was complaining but it truly was a horrible experience and going forward when we went to France this summer I made sure I had insurance that covered everything and was now aware what to expect. I appreciate the “kind” sometimes sarcastic suggestions and information. Maybe it will help someone else know what to expect which was all I was doing.

This has been unbelievable!

Enough said!

I'm sure that it was a terrible experience, but do you realize your story is changing?

You didn't say in your first post that someone from the tour company stayed with you all day and checked with you every day. Did you not tell them you wanted a translator?

You also mentioned--again, not in your first post, but later--that one doctor spoke English. Did you not tell him you wanted a translator?

I also wonder if you have ever been in any hospital anywhere other than this one. Hospitals are unpleasant. Well, except for that Japanese one massimop was in--I'm booking myself in there as soon as I can figure out how.

Anyway, I actually came to say that consulates and embassies have junior staff to deal with this kind of thing. It amazes me that not only did you and your husband not think of this for 3 weeks, but that no one around you did, either.

I think there's a lot of good information in this thread, one bit being, do call your nearest embassy or consulate in an emergency.

<that someone from the tour company stayed with you all day and checked with you every day. >
Sorry, meant to say, the person from the tour company stayed with you all day the first day, and then someone, same or different person, checked in with you daily. I know they weren't there with you for 3 weeks.

We asked for translators numerous times but to no avail. Sorry but you weren’t there and when you’re going through a situation like this you’re not always thinking of everything. No the doctor didn’t offer to get a translator and if I’d had one they couldn’t be there 24/7. And yes I’ve been in hospitals many times. Please don’t be so condescending. I’m really tired of explaining myself.

I appreciate the people who have been kind. Let’s just drop it!

Folks, give it a rest, would you?

It is extremely frightening to be forced into a serious hospital stay in a foreign country. I have had it happen twice, and it is just surreal. In both my cases I didn't face needing surgery, and I would have been 3 times as frightened, I'm sure.

It is grim enough dealing with emergency care anywhere, but if you are used to the military-like routines of American suburban hospitals, and their modern infrastructure, an Italian hospital can come as quite a shock. (I may have been more easy with it having lived in NYC and had Bellevue as one of the hospitals I used).

The OP has told a very useful tale about the need for travel insurance (which provides translators) and having a window into the Italian system should the need arise.

I hope none of you ever need a hospital if you are traveling in Italy but if it happens to anybody, they will be better prepared for having read this thread, thanks to the OP, not the people blowing hot air and posting ugly thoughts for no useful purpose. What is it about Fodorites that makes them need to believe Europe has no problems and American tourists are all people they hate?

Yeah, if you want it to drop, you probably shouldn't add more stuff that makes it even more unbelievable. what do you mean, the taxis kept dropping your husband off randomly? If it was the vaporettos, they operate like buses. And then there are maps. Apps. A visitor center. If it's the actual taxis, those go where the passenger tells them.

I also don't really understand why you are unwilling to provide the tour company's name. Either they screwed the pooch royally or they were stalwart heroes. Either way, we'd want to know. I can't believe they stayed in contact with you for 3 WEEKS and never once gave you the embassy contact information or gave you contact info for independent translators. Which certainly must exist in Venice. Where did your husband stay? Because I also can't believe he stayed in a hotel that MUST have had English speakers on staff and received no assistance there either.

But here's the biggie: why do you feel a 24/7 translator would be so important.? You wouldn't be any less at the doctor's mercy at an American hospital. It's not like you can tell a surgeon "I don't think that'll work, you need to operate this way."

It has been an educational thread, though. And I'm glad that you learned the importance of trip insurance!

If the purpose of this thread is to inform travelers, the facts are important. The OP has gone from saying there was never a translator to saying there wasn’t one 24/7. That’s a big difference.

Honestly, I think the awfulness of the experience—and I don’t doubt it was awful—is causing her to find fault where there was none. Sometimes our emotional memories overshadow everything else.

Yup. Exactly. I can believe it was awful. but if the point of a post is to help other travelers, then facts- or at least honesty- are important. A one post wonder that refuses to divulge pertinent information or changes facts is not helping herself.

Over the last few years, the Osperdale has seen a lot of building work, only visible from the lagoon. Helipad etc. So maybe it is not so primative as it might seen when entering from Campo SS G&P.

Post of marvellous mouse at 2 52 is spot in.

Or the taxi drivers in Venice like to play with their clients ... where do you want to go ? Hem. Ok. I'll drop you elsewhere for fun today. Tomorrow I'll drop you further awa.

These things make it impossible to feel sorry for OP.

Actually she is telling us but by bit that the hospital did a great job that the doctor spoke English that the tour company stayed the whole day with her that the tour company called and sorted the problems with the insurance company and that she had a translator.

Seems translator should have stayed in her bed and should have brought Diet Coke cans every day.

Sorry but I have no sympathy for somebody who just complains wheneverybody did everything they had to.
And more. And are not thanked for it.

That is why I liked to be a volunteer fir pediatric deparyment. Kids are just happy to see you and don't complain. Until they die of their cancer. OP belongs to that category of people who cannot cope with difficulties and don't recognise what is being done for them.

The title of that thread should be ´ thank god i got such good care in Venice hospital despite being a mean patient and having a clueless husband ´.

Yes I know I am a bad guy. You have no idea. No empathy

Yet I show up at funerals where the white coffin is less than à Meter long and painted with flowers. And some nurses and doctors show up too.

I knew a paediatrician. He said that you see a lot of sadness. However, you often get a pathetic limp little scrap coming in and within a few days, they will be dashing about and terrorising the ward. Children recover quickly

Why would the OP not name the tour company? Normal posters have no problem identifying their tour company when relaying good or bad experiences. I can think of one reason not to name them.

Not being able to find a translator in 3 weeks is the real plot hole in the OP's tale. Dropped into the middle of Mongolia, I would wager anyone could find a good English speaker within a day, likely less than a day. In Venice it's basically a scientific fact you're never more than 50 meters away from an English speaker (probably 10 meters, but I'm allowing for the canals).

And now we hear of spiteful taxi drivers.

The story raises red flags because it doesn't line up to anyone else's experience in Europe, Italy, or Venice.

So, a man visits his wife in hospital every day for three weeks and in all that time, he doesn’t work out which vaporetto to take or where to get off.

Wherever you were in the world, surely you’d know which Tube, Metro, subway line or bus route to take and where to get off.
Also, where in the world do taxis not drop you off at the destination you tell them when you get in?

If taxis had taken him to the correct destination ronce or twice, wouldn’t he tell the driver if he was taking him to the wrong place?
Water taxis cost a small fortune. Did he meekly pay his fare and get out not knowing where he was?

The saga is getting increasingly far fetched

>>Folks, give it a rest, would you?<<
>>Let’s just drop it!<<

Good luck with that.

This thread brings back wonderful memories of Chief Inspector Clouseau closing in on the culprits. Who wants to be Cato?

RIP Peter Sellers.

No one raised a red flag until late and now everyone piles on - we see thisn all the time - some new poster posts something damning about something and gets labeled automatically a troll - could be but may not be - folks who have experiences like that alleged one yes often take to multiple forums to vent their anger - most cases true I think but then get slandered by Fodorgarchs as automatically being trolls.

Sad.

I worked in a major US medical center. Many, many language translators were avaialble and for less common languages they could be made avaialble in 24 hours.

Doctors are trained to be able to do their work with an unresponsive patient. It is good that the OPs husband got the necessary treatment and had a good result. The fact that the language barrier somehow made the process more difficult is regrettable, but not the fault of the local medical system. If the OP only spoke Farsi or Mongolian and the hospital didn't provide for that would there still be a complaint?

If the OP was interested in progress reports I am sure that a daily or other periodical conference with a hired translator in attendance could have been arranged.

It depends probably on U S hospital and language required - an Italian needing hospitalization in rural areas is unlikely to have translators - those in urban areas and especially univerisity towns probably.

When I worked as a volunteer translator at the Ospedale Santa Maria Nuova in Florence, none of the ER staff spoke more than a few words in English. They were eager to learn more words, but none were equipped to translate. Only one doctor knew more English words than any of the others, but his English was pitiful. He did try, though.

<i><font color=#555555>"they didn't actually have a life threatening accident, so I'm not sure why a teaching hospital is relevant."</font></i>

By "life threatening," I meant in the realm of "quality of life." Not live or die. I would say a bone fracture in the leg that requires surgery and a three-week hospital stay is pretty serious. You need your legs to walk in life. Some bone fractures are so serious, they require metal pins or screws installed. Emergency situations often don't give you a chance to be picky about the orthopedic surgeon you get. If I had to choose my luck, I'd prefer not to be in Venice when something like this happens.

I hate to be cynical. There's enough to be cynical about in today's world. I agree that the thread has revealed some thoughtful insight, but the empty details and the unanswered questions leave the OP looking very suspect. For all we know, this is a clever way to advertise Travel Safe. This is the world we live in now. You simply can't take anything you read on the internet too seriously, until some form of validation is provided.

I hadn't even thought of that! I honestly think--still, although I am less certain now--that the OP had a miserable experience, breaking her leg badly and then suffering in a foreign hospital.

I also think that choosing to post on an anonymous online forum means that she is going to be questioned--I think we have the right to question, and that's not piling on. I agree, however, that the "troll" accusations are a bit much.

Could this really be advertising for TravelSafe??

What if the OP ain't a troll? Pretty shabby treatment then. she hasn't come back as usual for first-time poster doing rounds of forums expressing a miserable experience- also traits of a troll.

OP are you in the house? Or stuck in some hospital sans Internet?

OP has already returned, and essentially said, "Eff off."

PQ - what do you mean she hasn't come back??? Sure she has, your reading comprehension is off again. Still hasn't disclosed the name of the tour company, though, which I find suspect.

<i><font color=#555555>"What if the OP ain't a troll? Pretty shabby treatment then."</font></i>

Not when you consider what the Fodorgarchs put most everyone through, including you, Pal. This is no time to present yourself in your hypocrite robe. You still appear naked to most of us, and it ain't pretty. (Said with love, :-) )

<i><font color=#555555>"Could this really be advertising for TravelSafe??"</font></i>

If you've studied Trip Advisor as long as I have, you'd be amazed by the clever things businesses are doing to shill on the internet. This is our new age of forum life, and users better get in tune. Business leaders know the power of travel forums, and they're trying very hard to get their name mentioned in a positive light without being clocked.

I've learned to view all "horror" stories as suspect, especially the ones where the OP leaves out crucial information and/or disappears. We're in the age of fake news folks, whether we like it or not. I suggest you learn how to fight it.

Truth can be difficult to come by, but we must never stop seeking it.

If the tour company was so vigilant, how could the tour guide not know procedure for an unexpected medical situation/emergency - I would think tour guides are (or I would hope they are but don't know never having been on a tour) aware of such important information when leading around a group of people in various destinations. Like how to call an ambulance, at the very least.

Also isn't this hospital the only one in Venice proper? I always thought so. When the OP says she wished she had known about it beforehand as though she had another choice of hospital. Is there another hospital?

And then if checking in every day and being told no translator is around to assist, might at least find that info for the injured person?

Whatever happened or didn't happen here, maybe it has been helpful to future travelers about what to read up on before going to a foreign country in case something happens.

The report has been reposted on TripAdvisor using another name

The report has been reposted on TripAdvisor using another name>

So? Do folks use the same names from forum to forum? And if true OP would want to get it out on every forum. Who knows? Yes maybe a paid Russian ad for TravelSafe, perhaps a Putin-Trump-Ross company?

PQ: >>So? Do folks use the same names from forum to forum? <<

It seems you missed the point. It was '<u>re-posted</u>' - i.e. a second time. It was posted previously and pulled by TA. So now the OP has re-registered and posted it again.

Interestingly, it's not a straight copy and paste. In that one, the first post says the tour guide DID translate for them at the hospital. And the boat captain said in Italian he "couldn't" take them to the hospital in Italian- people there have speculated that it was too large of a boat to be allowed to go in that direction. It would make sense.

And when the er folks came in to revive the neighbor, one of the younger doctors was "talking and laughing". Apparently the op was traumatized by the person dying in front of her. Think about how the medical personnel felt. Geez. No one wants to lose a patient.

I'm even more skeptical. I think her problem was that she was NOT in the US. Because she was in Italy. But that is not at all the hospital's fault. I don't think she'd have been satisfied if she'd been in Naples, or France, or Spain. On the other hand, I'm less inclined to say it's some sort of weird advertisement.

Did you flag it?

I too am increasingly wary about forums like TA being used as advertising forums. But, when that is the case the poster typically comes out and up-front says something like "I am so glad company xyz was there to help me when I had this kind of problem on my trip." In this case there were probably 50 posts before the name of the travel insurance company was named. Today's internet readers won't sift through and read down 50 posts in order to find the name of the insurance company that was so great. I do not think it is promotional.

And, I don't think this is a troll. This is a case of someone who is really furious about the treatment she got. Whether the details are coherent or not is another story altogether.

I guess the one thing I do find weird is that despite the OP having made several postings, I still do not know if this was a cruise ship or a day trip with a large company or a tour group visiting Venice for a couple days or a case of someone having hired a private guide to take them around to see Venice.

Ah, never mind, the wording is the same. It's just that she made it sound like she had no translator. The tour guide was the translator. I need coffee.

No, I never bother flagging. The DEs tend to be overeager to do so, I leave them to it.

Right, Julies. If it was promotional, the name of the insurance co would be prominent in the first post. I don't think it is.

The only reason I can think that she would be unwilling to clarify the tour company is that if they were named, she knows they could possibly find the posts, identify her and probably discredit her story.

So even if she's not a troll, I think she's certainly aware that she's not accurately portraying the hospital.