Searching Up the Model Numbers of Hospital Equipment and Getting Shocked by the Price

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Someone shared a little pastime they discovered during a hospital stay: look around the room, find a piece of medical equipment, note down the model number, and look it up online. The result is almost always a jaw-dropping price tag — and instant regret for ever touching it.

The post resonated immediately with a wide range of people: patients who had already done the same thing, healthcare workers who knew exactly what those numbers meant, and plenty of people mentally bookmarking the idea for a future (hopefully unlikely) hospital visit. It turns out that even the most mundane-looking machines on a hospital ward cost a small fortune.

Comments

There’s this little game you can play while hospitalized: find a piece of medical equipment nearby, look up its model number, and be horrified by the price.

入院中の小さな遊びとして「目についた医療機器の型番を検索してお値段に震え上がる」がある

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A game with an almost guaranteed payout… in sheer terror 😂

ものすごい高確率でお高さに震えることのできる遊び…！

I do this all the time lol

私もよくやる

I used to work in the medical equipment department at a hospital, so I totally get it. The prices are genuinely shocking. 😅

病院の医療器械の係だったからわかるんですが、びっくりするような値段なんですよね。。。

That’s the list price for you…

定価はね…。

Used to work in that field, so I completely get it 😂

そういうお仕事してたからとてもわかる😂

Everyone should try this! And for the record, even healthcare workers are shocked by the prices!

これはぜひみんなにやってもらいたい！ちなみに医療従事者も震え上がるよ！

Even the staff let out a little “eek” every time they hear the price of new equipment.

中の人たちも新品のお値段を聞く度に｢ひえぇぇ｣と言ってます。

Medication prices probably have a wild range too, right?

薬のお値段もものすごく幅ありそうですね

I looked up the price of the IV drip and blood transfusion supplies too lol

点滴とか輸血のも検索してた

The drugs in the IV alone are enough to give you a shock.

点滴してる薬のお値段でも震え上がってます

Another version: read the fee schedule at a university hospital and freak out about treatments you’ve never even heard of. University hospitals in Japan are large academic medical centers affiliated with national or private universities, known for handling complex cases.

大学附属病院の料金規程を読んで知らない治療法とそのお値段に震え上がるってのもあります。

Looking up your itemized medical bill after discharge is fun too. (In my case I found out they used a disposable endoscope during surgery — and looked up how much that cost.)

退院したあと医療費明細見て検索するのも楽しいですよ。(自分の場合は使い捨て内視鏡が手術で使われていたこととそのお値段がわかりました)

The rehab therapist at my orthopedist casually tells me the prices of the equipment around the room, and now I shudder every time I go.

通ってる整形外科のリハビリの先生が雑談でその辺にある医療機器の値段教えてくれるので、知ってから行く度に震える。

There was this scene in an old medical drama where a clumsy nurse breaks a piece of equipment. You could instantly tell the prop was ancient and on its last legs. Even a realistic show can’t afford to smash a new one, I guess.

昔見た医療ドラマで、医療機器をドジ看護師がぶっこわす場面があったのですが。見ただけで、ものすごーく古い廃棄寸前みたいな機器なのが分かりました。いくら当たっているドラマでも、新しいのを壊す予算はなかったのでしょう。

I once thought “I want the same non-contact thermometer they use at the hospital!” and then looked up the price. Never thought about it again.

非接触の体温計、病院のと同じやつ欲しいなー、と思ったらお高かったことある

Side note: the meal cart they wheel in is also absurdly expensive.

ちなみに配膳車の値段もすごい

The first piece of equipment most people notice and look up is probably this one ↓

一番最初に目に付いて調べて値段に恐れ慄く医療機器は多分これ↓

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That was definitely my first one! Something like ¥680,000, right? (roughly $4,500 USD)

まさにそれが最初でした！68万円とかでしたね

Yeah, quite a price tag lol

いいお値段しますよねｗ

When you use one at home it’s basically a rental anyway, so most people never think about the price.

在宅で使う場合でも実質レンタルなので値段は気にしないですからね。

Looked it up. Was shaken.

これ検索して震え上がった

Even at chiropractic and judo therapy clinics, random pieces of equipment cost tens of thousands of yen… (Judo therapy clinics — called 接骨院/seikotsu-in — are a type of licensed manual therapy practice common in Japan, often used for sports injuries and joint pain.) (Not sure about the ultrasound machines there specifically though.)

接骨院もちょっとした物が、数10万とかしたりするんよなあ……（超音波の機械とか使ってないから、お値段知らんけど）

Someone told me the machine the ophthalmologist always uses for tests costs over ¥20 million. (about $130,000 USD) I was genuinely shaken.

眼科でいつも検査に使われてる機器が2000万以上らしくてマジで震えた…

If I ever end up hospitalized again, I’m definitely doing this.

次回入院する羽目になった時はこれをやりたい

Sounds fun. Gonna try it.

面白そう　やってみよ

Fortunately I haven’t had the opportunity. Unfortunately, if I ever do get that opportunity, I’ll give it a try.

幸運なことに機会に恵まれていないので、不幸なことに機会に恵まれたらやってみよう

My take

This game could work anywhere, not just hospitals. The tension alone might be enough to keep you on your best behavior around expensive equipment.

#Funny #Culture #Society

Source & translation note

Comments loosely translated for tone. Reactions collected from Togetter and X threads.

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