best hospital in the dr ??

paddy

Silver
Oct 4, 2003
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where is the best hospital located in the dr? what is the average responce time for a medical emergency? i hate to mix a question like this in among the best hamburgers and pizza etc...but if i'm to consider a retirement to anywhere..these questions are important to me. thanks
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
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Paddy, if rapid response by a trained team in response to a 911 call is important to you, then don't move to the DR. Service like that does not exist. When you live here, you just have to accept the fact that if trained medical care is required within the first few minutes of a heart attack, for example, then you are a goner unless God chooses to let you live another day.

I live in Sosua. In case of a medical emergency, one way or another (including taxi), the victim needs to be gotten to Centro Medico Bournigal for emergency care. Figure about an hour, including the confusion, etc., of figuring out who to call, etc.

Or you can call Servi Med in Cabarete, and a doctor will get to you within an hour. But if you need any medical service, he will arrange to get you to Centro Medico Bournigal.

You can stay at Centro Medico Bournigal, or go to a hospital in Santiago or Santo Domingo by ambulance once you are stabilized, or even by helicopter if your condition warrants it. Since we established all our medical contacts at Clinica Abreu in Santo Domingo, that is where we would go once able to make the trip.

If this doesn't sound like what you are looking for in your retirement years, then you should reconsider your plan to move to the DR.
 

sweetdbt

Bronze
Sep 17, 2004
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Ken,

Having read with interest your excellent posts following your wife's medical emergency, I know you have real first hand experience here. Based on this, would your "quick and dirty" answer to the question of "where is the best hospital?" be Clinica Abreu in SD? If the OP hasn't ruled out living in the Capital for other reasons, it would seem proximity to a place like that would put him in a better situation, although I have no misconceptions about the emergency services being up to first world standards.
 

mido

Bronze
May 18, 2002
1,522
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Hospiten Bavaro

I had to use this hospital in 2001 because I broke my ankle 6 times and tore a couple of tendons too.
I received excellent medical care and fully recovered. Most or all of the doctors are foreigners and speak English as well.
They have a very good ambulance service and can start live saving treatment on the way to the hospital.
A friend of mine had emergency brain surgery there after an accident and was flown home later.

It is not exactly cheap but if you live here you should have health insurance anyway.
Here you can check out there website www.hospiten.es.
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
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sweetdbt, for us, Clinica Abreu is the best hospital. I say this because nearly all the doctors we use are all affiliated with Clinica Abreu and all are excellent, received most if not all of their medical training in the US, Canada or Europe, speak excellent English, and are highly regarded in their field. We started with a recommendation from a gastroenterologist in Puerto Rico we had great regard for. He recommended a former classmate friend from the medical school they attended in the US. As we have needed other doctors over the years, our gastroenterologist has always been asked who he recommended. Consequently, we are now in the hands of a circle of doctors who know each other and who combine forces, as needed, when we have a medical problem.

I don't think we would be in better hands anywhere, including in the US, but this does not mean that I would call Clinica Abreu the best hospital in the DR because I don't know enough about the others. For us it is the best.
 

pacito

New member
Jul 28, 2004
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Anyone would have any comments on the Rodriguez clinic (medical center Rodriguez) in Sto Domingo ?

I am told it is the most expensive in the city....is it better than " Abreu"?
 

TEHAMA

New member
Feb 3, 2004
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Clinica Abreu

Do you have the address and telephone number? An emergency number would be great. Thanks.
TEHAMA
 

pacito

New member
Jul 28, 2004
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clinica abel gonzalez

Any comments on this institution would be appreciated especially in comparaison with clinic Abreu.

Thanks
 

Dolores1

DR1
May 3, 2000
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www.
pacito said:
Any comments on this institution would be appreciated especially in comparaison with clinic Abreu.

Thanks

Reality is that upscale Dominicans are more frequently using hospitals in the western side of the city, thus the Abel Gonzalez facility on Abraham Lincoln is getting lots of business that in the past would go to the Clinica Abreu. Hospiten is the new clinic on the block and working hard to gain popularity with their modern facilities on Bolivar, and Corazones Unidos in Naco is also popular. All these are some distance from Abreu, which is located in what 20 years back was the medical center area for Santo Domingo. The traffic difficulties in the city make people that live in the west side (Poligono Central) to think twice about going downtown. I once had to take my son to a psychologist who worked at a building next door to the Abreu, and I always dreaded driving down there. The psychologist eventually relocated and now has her office in the Abel Gonzalez at Abraham Lincoln. The Abreu, I believe, still is the hospital of choice of the US Consulate, that I understand mandates the medical testing for visas to be done there.
 

pacito

New member
Jul 28, 2004
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clinica abel gonzalez

Thanks a lot for the info.
I asked a friend last time in DR to introduce me to a private clinic. I was introduced to Abel Gonzalez.
I thought the facilities were good...but then again I did not need emergency treatment.
I met the older Gonzalez who appeared to me to be a trustworthy gentleman.
But then again, I am a strong believer in listening to others opinion as well.

I realise than there is no real "911" type emergency service in DR. Is there a private service one can subscribe to?
If there is not..it could be a business opportunity...what do you think?
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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495
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Dolores is right about the move to the western side of the city. Most of our doctors, though affiliated with Clinica Abreu, have opened an office on the western side. Still have an office in or near Clinica Abreu, but are probably busier in the other because the majority of their patients live nearer to the second office.

Barbara's allergist is in the Abel Gonzalez facility on Abraham Lincoln. Attractive building and her allergist is excellent (practiced in US for almost 20 years before returning to the DR0), but don't know about other doctors or patient care.
 

Dolores1

DR1
May 3, 2000
8,215
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48
www.
mido said:
I had to use this hospital in 2001 because I broke my ankle 6 times and tore a couple of tendons too.
I received excellent medical care and fully recovered. Most or all of the doctors are foreigners and speak English as well.
They have a very good ambulance service and can start live saving treatment on the way to the hospital.
A friend of mine had emergency brain surgery there after an accident and was flown home later.

It is not exactly cheap but if you live here you should have health insurance anyway.
Here you can check out there website www.hospiten.es.

They have a directory page on dr1 at ttp://dr1.com/directories/medical/hospiten.shtml

I know of one of their doctors, Dr. Douglas Bournigal, trained in the Cleveland Clinic, and is regarded as one of the better Dominican cardiologists.
 

Dolores1

DR1
May 3, 2000
8,215
37
48
www.
pacito said:
Anyone would have any comments on the Rodriguez clinic (medical center Rodriguez) in Sto Domingo ?

I am told it is the most expensive in the city....is it better than " Abreu"?

Would doubt very much this is the most expensive in the city.
 

pacito

New member
Jul 28, 2004
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Dolores said:
Would doubt very much this is the most expensive in the city.
During my brief encounter with Dr. Gonzalez I asked what would be the cost of a partial removal of the colon ( regarding diverticulitis) I was told about US$5000...

I thought this ws rather steep considering that this is exactly the same price asked by a surgeaon friend of mine in Geneva Switzerland of all places!!

Mind you the hospital bill itself in Geneva was to be in the order of US 12,000 over and above.

You are quite right as to the insurance aspect of things in general. No one in their right mind should live in DR without an appropriate international health insurance.

What about my questions on a private emergency ambulance service...is tghere such a service available? If not...would many people subscribe to it for a monthly fee?
 

pacito

New member
Jul 28, 2004
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Dolores said:
Private emergency ambulance service...

Movimed and SOS Ambulancia. You can subscribe to them.

How do those services work?

You simply call and pay them when arrived at the emergency room?
Or do you have to be a registered client in advance?

What if you wanted to use their services for a friend...could you pay them right there and then?

Any personal experiences...?

Thanks for the info