Funny CultureSociety

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

A small game that turns a hospital stay into a very expensive education.

· 4 min · Togetter

What's going on

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.
A game with an almost guaranteed payout… in sheer terror 😂
I do this all the time lol
I used to work in the medical equipment department at a hospital, so I totally get it. The prices are genuinely shocking. 😅
That’s the list price for you…
Used to work in that field, so I completely get it 😂
Everyone should try this! And for the record, even healthcare workers are shocked by the prices!
Even the staff let out a little “eek” every time they hear the price of new equipment.
Medication prices probably have a wild range too, right?
I looked up the price of the IV drip and blood transfusion supplies too lol
The drugs in the IV alone are enough to give you a shock.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
Side note: the meal cart they wheel in is also absurdly expensive.
The first piece of equipment most people notice and look up is probably this one ↓
That was definitely my first one! Something like ¥680,000, right? (roughly $4,500 USD)
Yeah, quite a price tag lol
When you use one at home it’s basically a rental anyway, so most people never think about the price.
Looked it up. Was shaken.
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.)
Someone told me the machine the ophthalmologist always uses for tests costs over ¥20 million. (about $130,000 USD) I was genuinely shaken.
If I ever end up hospitalized again, I’m definitely doing this.
Sounds fun. Gonna try it.
Fortunately I haven’t had the opportunity. Unfortunately, if I ever do get that opportunity, I’ll give it a try.

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.

Comments loosely translated for tone.

Source https://togetter.com/li/2703332