To all those who gave helpful and supportive replies, thank you so much.
This has been like an awful clichéd nightmare, from 'Is there a doctor on the plane?' to everything after that. I'm so grateful that my husband didn't require more serious intervention. He is now more stable and his crippling head pain is almost gone. He is also being monitored on a ward, with medication available, and may be discharged tomorrow. He has therefore decided to stay one more night in the public hospital, though I said we can pay elsewhere if needed.
Our travel insurance is still not confirmed but they refuse to pay for a private hospital now the emergency is over (and previously specifically said not Hospiten, unfortunately). He needs to avoid stress so I don't want to put him through another terrible ambulance trip. I'm also not sure where would accept us without insurance or where else might try to charge inflated fees. With all this justification, however, you can probably tell I'm not comfortable with this decision.
Anyway, the British Consulate provided a translator who is very good at commanding attention and this helped enormously. (I am keeping the American Consulate in mind too). I feel wretched for all the people at the hospital without this benefit. Everyone deserves the level of care the private hospital offered (... until they didn't).
I wasn't clear in my OP but the private place was definitely inflating the fees - the insurance company challenge this regularly and I gather I'm paying for the sins of foreigners who scarper after being treated. I'm familiar with sometimes paying up front then being reimbursed but don't have the resources to be extorted to this extent. Also, I was advised by my insurers to pay nothing more myself, though that's not helpful when my confirmation is (I hope) stuck in their in-tray.
We've always travelled independently but may need to book with a tour operator for extra support in future. Google Translate is very helpful, within its limitations, especially now I have lots of Mexican data.
I'm resting now and soon I'll fall asleep to some bad TV if I can. My appetite vanished but now I'm making myself eat healthy food. I'm running on adrenaline, so I know I'll crash when this is all over.
It’s so weird that your insurance does not have a 24-hour travel emergency hotline. Once you have the doctor’s report recommending hospitalization, it should be faxed (by you) or take a photo and email, to the insurance representative. The insurance should then open a case for you and give you a case number, and then work directly with the hospital billing staff to remit payment to the hospital.
Note that most travel insurance companies aren’t concerned with you receiving “best” care. You receive adequate emergency care, sometimes for the purpose of stabilization, and then you’re expected to go home as soon as you can travel to receive proper care.
There is a 24 hour helpline but it's mainly staffed by call handlers and often no-one calls back as promised. I have reached staff sometimes and some have emailed and texted, but there's been very little response for over 24 hours. They have everything they need to open a case with the hospital but it's still waiting to be signed off, apparently. Bit worrying.
You're absolutely right about only having enough cover to be stabilised but the text I've underlined is a very helpful point, so I'll try asking if they'll help us go home sooner. It will presumably cost less than a possible recurrance.
You need to try to relax a little. “Hypertensive crisis” is typically not something people get admitted for. My first clue that he is getting good care is that staff is not letting him see his blood pressure readings. Patients often send themselves into a hypertension crisis with their constant monitoring and subsequent anxiety.
A hypertensive crisis absolutely is a common admitting diagnosis for emergency care. And no, withholding information from a patient is not indicative of good medical care. I hope to god you're not a nurse or doctor.
@beer-man : You don't know my husband's symptoms or medical history, so this wasn't at all constructive. In case you ever find yourself in this situation - hopefully not, especially in a foreign country with no explanation of what's being done for you - please read this information:
www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/understanding-blood-pressure-readings/hypertensive-crisis-when-you-should-call-911-for-high-blood-pressure@Bracken_Joy : as always, you're one of the best people on this forum.
Thank you again to all of you kind people.
