Are you looking for a gynaecologist/obstetrician in Jakarta? Perhaps you may find this post useful for your research or contemplation on which gynae you should go to.
The moment the pregnancy stick indicated that I was pregnant, hubby G and I were eager to find a Gynaecologist/Obstetrician in Jakarta to confirm the results. The first place we thought of finding a gynae for me was Jakarta Women and Child Clinic as we have been taking our toddler to the paediatrician there and we were quite happy with there (Read about our experience with JWCC's paediatrician here- Part 1: Finding a Pediatrician in Jakarta).
*Warning* This is going to be a lengthy post so please bear with me. I found there's a lack of information on gynaecology care and childbirth in Jakarta so I thought a post on our experience would probably help other moms like myself.
**All written below are also based on my own experience and personal thoughts, and it could be subjective to different individuals.
We called up JWCC and asked if they can recommend a gynae; the receptionist suggested Dr Robert Alief, telling us he is very popular with the expats. True enough when I search around the internet, quite a number of expats did recommend him. Appointment booked and we headed excitedly, also nervously to the clinic for the first scan.
The wait was pretty long despite having booked an appointment; think we waited for 1.5hour before it was our turn. We met Dr Robert Alief who speaks rather fluent english (educated in UK if I am not wrong) however not the most personal doctor. Funny that we felt like we were 'interrupting' him. I was led straight to the bed where they did the first scan. Indeed I was pregnant as we spotted the embryo however there was this black clot next to the embryo and I started to worry. Dr Alief told us that it is probably because I moved too much so there's a blood clot next to the gestational sac; he said I should refrain from heavy physical activities and take bedrest just in case the clot dislodges the embryo from the placenta thus resulting in miscarriage.
Erm..now both hubby G and I were worried and we asked Dr Alief what were the chances of miscarriage. He was quite vague, only telling me to rest more and he would give me a hormone jab 'just in case'. He didn't explain much what this 'hormone jab' will do and before I knew it or had time to consider if I want it, I received a jab on my butt.
After that, I asked him if he could prescribed anything for my morning sickness. He nodded, said he would give me some Zofran however did not warn me of any possible side effects. We were just told to return in couple of weeks to check if the pregnancy is going okay; he told me to take the prenatal pills and some more 'hormone' pills he prescribed and we were ushered out of the room. Not the most joyous occasion or visit.
Bill came and it was bout 3.5million idr (~350usd).
We were kinda surprised how expensive the consultation was but we were more surprised by the 'hormone jab' and pill prescription. We have always refrained from taking anything unnatural during pregnancy and I felt troubled because of the lack of knowledge and info on something I had just received into my body. I went home to research on the jab and found that it was mostly used on women having a hard time conceiving or going through IVF, the hormones will help to support the development of embryo and reduce chances of miscarriage. The problem is that, I already have plenty of that hormones...the same ones that caused nasty morning sickness..
And of course, I didn't consume any of the Protesgerone pills prescribed and paid for. I also stopped taking the Zofran prescribed after two days; though it helped reduced the nausea, I got horrible headaches in return.
---
As we are unfamiliar with the medical care scene in Jakarta, we decided to start finding a hospital and gynaecologist early. We were debating if I should give birth in Jakarta or Singapore. We decided to give birth in Jakarta after much consideration. Read about how we decided where to give birth here- Part 3: Deciding to give birth in Jakarta or Singapore.
---
Since hubby G and I decided that we would like my delivery to be in Pondok Indah Hospital, we started to look for a gynae in RSPI(Rumah Sakit Pondok Indah). Read Part 3 to know how we came about to our decision.
We asked around our friends and most recommendations of gynaes are the ones who practise in other hospitals like Medistra or Brawijaya Women Hospital. So once again, we asked the receptionist in RSPI for a popular gynae amongst expats. Dr Bramundito was recommended and we scheduled to see him.
The wait was again pretty long despite having a prior appointment, it took about an hour plus. Finally it was our turn and Dr Bramundito greeted us with friendliness as we entered the room. Good start. We did the usual scan routine and I asked about the previous blood clot detected in my womb. He checked and to our relief, it had disintegrated.
We told him about my horrible morning sickness and that I was unable to keep anything down; I asked if he could provide me anything to help. He recommended natural remedies and do not really approve ingest any unnecessary drugs during pregnancy. I guess that's good, a doctor who cares more about the patient than earning money from the lucrative drugs. Overall, we thought Dr Bramundito was approachable, patient with all our questions and pro-natural. He speaks good english too.
The bill came and to our surprise it was only 650,000idr (~65usd), very big difference from our previous bill from JWCC. And so, Dr Bramundito was 'shortlisted' in hubby G and my invisible 'Good Gynae in Jakarta' list; however like dating, we wanted to scout around for more gynaes until we are very sure he is 'the one'. ;)
---
When we continued to ask around, no one in our group of friends seem to have tried Dr Brumundito before. As a risk-calculative couple, we decided that we should try out Gynaes that our friends or acquaintances had prior experience with. Couple of expats including a fellow mom blogger from ChuzaiLiving recommended Dr Gozali, and thus we went 'interviewing' our next candidate.
---
The wait was less than an hour so it was a great start. Dr Gozali welcomed us with much hospitality into his office and was quite a chirpy gynae. We felt comfortable with him quickly.
He took his time to do the scan; he told us that he thinks that we are probably having a girl but couldn't be 100% certain. As I was in my 16th week, I asked if he could do an anomoly scan for me.
He was pretty honest, saying that he could do it but was not the most specialised person for the job. We asked him if he could recommend another gynae in Jakarta who could analyse the scan. He told us that many doctors in Jakarta would claim they can do it but they are not skilled and he would highly recommend me to go back to my gynae in Singapore for the anomoly scan. I tried my luck and checked with Dr Gozali if there's any chance of him practising in Pondok Indah hospital and was told that he only practises in Medistra.
I also did a blood test during that visit. The bill came and we were taken slightly aback. It was bout 5million idr plus (~500usd+); consultation plus blood test and nothing else. This was way more expensive than Singapore! In Singapore, my gynae's clinic is based out of Mount Elizabeth Hospital (some of you would know that it is a very renowned hospital) and my bloodtest/consultation would only cost us SGD$350 (~280usd).
Putting things in perspective, I could have bought myself a ticket with a budget airline, fly to Singapore for my anomoly scan plus blood test and back within 500usd. Furthermore I would have more assurance in regards to the accuracy of the blood test done in Singapore.
When we reached home and looked carefully at the JWCC receipts (both Dr Alief and Dr Gozali visits), we realised that the billing breakdown weren't very transparent. For example, I don't know why they charge 2x consultation fee within a singular visit. If Hubby G hadn't submitted the receipts to his company for claims, I would have post a copy of them here. I suspect (purely my own evaluations) that the clinic is probably trying to earn more by overcharging expats as most expats are covered by generous health insurance. The thing is, I don't think that is very honest even if the money is not coming out from the expats' pockets and secondly, some expats like hubby G and I, do not have a generous health insurance. We have a cap to the amount we can claim.
---
Within 2 weeks, we made a trip down to Singapore and met my gynae Dr Kowa for my anomoly scan. In less than 2 minutes into the scan, Dr Kowa was able to tell us that we are having a baby girl for sure and he scrutinised each detail (brain, heart, etc) efficiently and effortlessly while updating us the development of the baby. In 20 minutes, we were assured that baby is developing well and we can definitely buy female clothes for our baby. The bill was about SGD$200 (~150usd). Sigh...how I miss Singapore in times like this.
Efficiency + Accuracy = Assurance + Confidence
We went back to Jakarta, and some of our lovely friends who also helped to ask around came back with some very good testimonials with Dr Azen Salim. He was highly recommended by both expatriate and local Indonesian chinese friends. However I was also warned that as he is 'famous', it is very difficult to get an appointment with him.
True enough, I called on the 16th April, and the next available slot he has was on 17th May.
---
Dr Azen has his own clinic within Pondok Indah Hospital unlike Dr Bramundito who practises in one of the hospital's rooms. As it took a month for the next available appointment with Dr Azen, I was kinda anticipating that the wait on the appointment day itself would probably be quite long too. However to my surprise, it was my turn after only thirty minutes wait. I went into the consultation room, keeping my fingers crossed that 'this is the one', and was greeted by a very fatherly and friendly Dr Azen.
As it was his first time seeing me, he took extra time to go through every detail of the scan like how my gynae back in Singapore did the anomoly scan, checking to ensure there's no red flags. He gave me a lot of reassurance that things are going well, and also seem genuinely interested in my wellbeing and the development of the baby. We also did a 4D scan where I saw my baby girl for the first time. Dr Azen also participated in the same excitement which made one felt nice and reinforced to me that this gynae bothered to be involved. He gave me a printout of the anomoly analysis, 4d pictures of my baby and a cd rom that records the scanning (great to show hubby who couldn't make it).
You would think the bill would be exorbitant given my previous experiences, however it was only 1.3million idr (~130usd) for everything.
It was a very positive experience and I have finally found the gynae, who I feel confident and comfortable with, to deliver my second baby here in Jakarta :)
---
There you go! Congrats if you have made it to the end of my super lengthy post, I hope this has helped to give you some insights and allow you to find your gynae soon :)
Feel free to drop me a note via comments below or mummynista@gmail.com if you have any questions or experience to share!
The moment the pregnancy stick indicated that I was pregnant, hubby G and I were eager to find a Gynaecologist/Obstetrician in Jakarta to confirm the results. The first place we thought of finding a gynae for me was Jakarta Women and Child Clinic as we have been taking our toddler to the paediatrician there and we were quite happy with there (Read about our experience with JWCC's paediatrician here- Part 1: Finding a Pediatrician in Jakarta).
*Warning* This is going to be a lengthy post so please bear with me. I found there's a lack of information on gynaecology care and childbirth in Jakarta so I thought a post on our experience would probably help other moms like myself.
**All written below are also based on my own experience and personal thoughts, and it could be subjective to different individuals.
Gynaecologist 1- Dr Robert Alief (JWCC/Medistra)
We called up JWCC and asked if they can recommend a gynae; the receptionist suggested Dr Robert Alief, telling us he is very popular with the expats. True enough when I search around the internet, quite a number of expats did recommend him. Appointment booked and we headed excitedly, also nervously to the clinic for the first scan.
The wait was pretty long despite having booked an appointment; think we waited for 1.5hour before it was our turn. We met Dr Robert Alief who speaks rather fluent english (educated in UK if I am not wrong) however not the most personal doctor. Funny that we felt like we were 'interrupting' him. I was led straight to the bed where they did the first scan. Indeed I was pregnant as we spotted the embryo however there was this black clot next to the embryo and I started to worry. Dr Alief told us that it is probably because I moved too much so there's a blood clot next to the gestational sac; he said I should refrain from heavy physical activities and take bedrest just in case the clot dislodges the embryo from the placenta thus resulting in miscarriage.
Erm..now both hubby G and I were worried and we asked Dr Alief what were the chances of miscarriage. He was quite vague, only telling me to rest more and he would give me a hormone jab 'just in case'. He didn't explain much what this 'hormone jab' will do and before I knew it or had time to consider if I want it, I received a jab on my butt.
After that, I asked him if he could prescribed anything for my morning sickness. He nodded, said he would give me some Zofran however did not warn me of any possible side effects. We were just told to return in couple of weeks to check if the pregnancy is going okay; he told me to take the prenatal pills and some more 'hormone' pills he prescribed and we were ushered out of the room. Not the most joyous occasion or visit.
Bill came and it was bout 3.5million idr (~350usd).
We were kinda surprised how expensive the consultation was but we were more surprised by the 'hormone jab' and pill prescription. We have always refrained from taking anything unnatural during pregnancy and I felt troubled because of the lack of knowledge and info on something I had just received into my body. I went home to research on the jab and found that it was mostly used on women having a hard time conceiving or going through IVF, the hormones will help to support the development of embryo and reduce chances of miscarriage. The problem is that, I already have plenty of that hormones...the same ones that caused nasty morning sickness..
And of course, I didn't consume any of the Protesgerone pills prescribed and paid for. I also stopped taking the Zofran prescribed after two days; though it helped reduced the nausea, I got horrible headaches in return.
---
As we are unfamiliar with the medical care scene in Jakarta, we decided to start finding a hospital and gynaecologist early. We were debating if I should give birth in Jakarta or Singapore. We decided to give birth in Jakarta after much consideration. Read about how we decided where to give birth here- Part 3: Deciding to give birth in Jakarta or Singapore.
---
Gynaecologist 2- Dr Bramundito (Pondok Indah)
Since hubby G and I decided that we would like my delivery to be in Pondok Indah Hospital, we started to look for a gynae in RSPI(Rumah Sakit Pondok Indah). Read Part 3 to know how we came about to our decision.
We asked around our friends and most recommendations of gynaes are the ones who practise in other hospitals like Medistra or Brawijaya Women Hospital. So once again, we asked the receptionist in RSPI for a popular gynae amongst expats. Dr Bramundito was recommended and we scheduled to see him.
The wait was again pretty long despite having a prior appointment, it took about an hour plus. Finally it was our turn and Dr Bramundito greeted us with friendliness as we entered the room. Good start. We did the usual scan routine and I asked about the previous blood clot detected in my womb. He checked and to our relief, it had disintegrated.
We told him about my horrible morning sickness and that I was unable to keep anything down; I asked if he could provide me anything to help. He recommended natural remedies and do not really approve ingest any unnecessary drugs during pregnancy. I guess that's good, a doctor who cares more about the patient than earning money from the lucrative drugs. Overall, we thought Dr Bramundito was approachable, patient with all our questions and pro-natural. He speaks good english too.
The bill came and to our surprise it was only 650,000idr (~65usd), very big difference from our previous bill from JWCC. And so, Dr Bramundito was 'shortlisted' in hubby G and my invisible 'Good Gynae in Jakarta' list; however like dating, we wanted to scout around for more gynaes until we are very sure he is 'the one'. ;)
---
When we continued to ask around, no one in our group of friends seem to have tried Dr Brumundito before. As a risk-calculative couple, we decided that we should try out Gynaes that our friends or acquaintances had prior experience with. Couple of expats including a fellow mom blogger from ChuzaiLiving recommended Dr Gozali, and thus we went 'interviewing' our next candidate.
---
Gynaecologist 3- Dr Gozali (JWCC/Medistra)
The wait was less than an hour so it was a great start. Dr Gozali welcomed us with much hospitality into his office and was quite a chirpy gynae. We felt comfortable with him quickly.
He took his time to do the scan; he told us that he thinks that we are probably having a girl but couldn't be 100% certain. As I was in my 16th week, I asked if he could do an anomoly scan for me.
He was pretty honest, saying that he could do it but was not the most specialised person for the job. We asked him if he could recommend another gynae in Jakarta who could analyse the scan. He told us that many doctors in Jakarta would claim they can do it but they are not skilled and he would highly recommend me to go back to my gynae in Singapore for the anomoly scan. I tried my luck and checked with Dr Gozali if there's any chance of him practising in Pondok Indah hospital and was told that he only practises in Medistra.
I also did a blood test during that visit. The bill came and we were taken slightly aback. It was bout 5million idr plus (~500usd+); consultation plus blood test and nothing else. This was way more expensive than Singapore! In Singapore, my gynae's clinic is based out of Mount Elizabeth Hospital (some of you would know that it is a very renowned hospital) and my bloodtest/consultation would only cost us SGD$350 (~280usd).
Putting things in perspective, I could have bought myself a ticket with a budget airline, fly to Singapore for my anomoly scan plus blood test and back within 500usd. Furthermore I would have more assurance in regards to the accuracy of the blood test done in Singapore.
When we reached home and looked carefully at the JWCC receipts (both Dr Alief and Dr Gozali visits), we realised that the billing breakdown weren't very transparent. For example, I don't know why they charge 2x consultation fee within a singular visit. If Hubby G hadn't submitted the receipts to his company for claims, I would have post a copy of them here. I suspect (purely my own evaluations) that the clinic is probably trying to earn more by overcharging expats as most expats are covered by generous health insurance. The thing is, I don't think that is very honest even if the money is not coming out from the expats' pockets and secondly, some expats like hubby G and I, do not have a generous health insurance. We have a cap to the amount we can claim.
---
Within 2 weeks, we made a trip down to Singapore and met my gynae Dr Kowa for my anomoly scan. In less than 2 minutes into the scan, Dr Kowa was able to tell us that we are having a baby girl for sure and he scrutinised each detail (brain, heart, etc) efficiently and effortlessly while updating us the development of the baby. In 20 minutes, we were assured that baby is developing well and we can definitely buy female clothes for our baby. The bill was about SGD$200 (~150usd). Sigh...how I miss Singapore in times like this.
Efficiency + Accuracy = Assurance + Confidence
We went back to Jakarta, and some of our lovely friends who also helped to ask around came back with some very good testimonials with Dr Azen Salim. He was highly recommended by both expatriate and local Indonesian chinese friends. However I was also warned that as he is 'famous', it is very difficult to get an appointment with him.
True enough, I called on the 16th April, and the next available slot he has was on 17th May.
---
Gynaecologist 4- Dr Azen Salim (Pondok Indah Hospital, RSPI)
 |
| Entrance of Dr Azen's clinic. |
 |
| Interior of the clinic- nothing fancy but clean and neat. |
Dr Azen has his own clinic within Pondok Indah Hospital unlike Dr Bramundito who practises in one of the hospital's rooms. As it took a month for the next available appointment with Dr Azen, I was kinda anticipating that the wait on the appointment day itself would probably be quite long too. However to my surprise, it was my turn after only thirty minutes wait. I went into the consultation room, keeping my fingers crossed that 'this is the one', and was greeted by a very fatherly and friendly Dr Azen.
As it was his first time seeing me, he took extra time to go through every detail of the scan like how my gynae back in Singapore did the anomoly scan, checking to ensure there's no red flags. He gave me a lot of reassurance that things are going well, and also seem genuinely interested in my wellbeing and the development of the baby. We also did a 4D scan where I saw my baby girl for the first time. Dr Azen also participated in the same excitement which made one felt nice and reinforced to me that this gynae bothered to be involved. He gave me a printout of the anomoly analysis, 4d pictures of my baby and a cd rom that records the scanning (great to show hubby who couldn't make it).
 |
| From the first visit with Dr Azen- Anomaly Analysis, CD ROM with scan records, 4D scans. |
 | |
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It was a very positive experience and I have finally found the gynae, who I feel confident and comfortable with, to deliver my second baby here in Jakarta :)
---
There you go! Congrats if you have made it to the end of my super lengthy post, I hope this has helped to give you some insights and allow you to find your gynae soon :)
Feel free to drop me a note via comments below or mummynista@gmail.com if you have any questions or experience to share!
great to read your post! I really need some help...please if you could suggest some female OB-GYN in Jakarta, I would be grateful!
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