Following up on a recent thread on "emergency medical care" in the DR - I just wanted to testify that the treatment that I received there over my 14 years was not only as good as but often BETTER than anything I have had in the United States.
I doubt that there is anyone on this Board who has had more experience with the medical system in the DR than I had during my 14 years there.
I worked as a journalist and traveled all over the country - primarily by bus, gua-gua and concho - sometimes with a rental car (never had an accident). I fell on my face more than 5 times - once bit through my lip - once scrapped my leg so badly that I had to go under full anesthesia to have it cleaned out
I had a very small squid move into my ear (along with her 4 grains of sand) for two weeks up in Las Terreanas) thought it was an infection and just treated it myself - OH the dangers of being able to buy one's own meds.. Finally went to the hospital there... End - have lost 70% hearing in one ear, 30% in the other.
I was scrapped up in Dajabon - treated free at the small and very clean hospital there.
Visited a friend's dying mother in Padre Bellini (public) in Santo Domingo - Would that I would be able to spend my final hours in such a beautiful place with such compassionate people.
Done an article on the maternity hospital in Santo Domingo -(ignore the headline which is chosen by the editor) http://www.ipsnews.net/2010/10/haitian-mothers-find-care-in-dominican-republic-but-future-is-bleak/
I was in Clinic Abreu perhaps 4 times? With various who knows what? The last was the wilting who knows what? No real symptoms except I just did not want to leave the bed - i.e. - no fever, vomiting, aches or pains - for which my assistant finally dragged me over to the Clinic and the doc admitted me. Turned out to be both a staph and strep infection in my entire body with an elevated blood count so high -- that another doc - seen later for a recurring bladder infection - looked at the records and said "You are lucky that you did not die."
Since I am Bipolar1, I have also experienced the psychiatric care in the DR - been inpatient both in the public psychiatric hospital in Santiago and a private psych clinic in Gazcue.
While the public hospital in Santiago was certainly rougher - in that I did not have the requisite family members to come in and help me (although the other families were very kind in giving me soap), the shower was one cold spigot, the food was inedible to me except for the oatmeal - but the PYSCH care was perfect. It is a training hospital and there was a team of docs looking out for me. Since I was a foreigner, they would only release me into the custody of a family member so my nephew fly inf from Puerto Rico to pick me up.
Later, I found the best psychiatrist that I have EVER had - Dr. Hector Perez - in Santo Domingo - whom I credit with actually bringing me to the best state of health I have ever had. I referred at least three people to him and would recommend him to anyone who needs any sort of psych treatment. He trained in New York City and his wife, who is a therapist with an MSW, graduated from Hunter College. Both, obviously are fluent in English.
The appointments with Dr. Perez lasted one full hour. (One is very lucky in the States to get more than 40 minutes with a shrink - usually 20 minutes for $90!) He gave me the medication for free. He worked with me for over two years to find the right meds and right dosages. He treated me with more loving kindness than I have ever received.
I did not have such good luck with the dentistry but Robert has a sticky with his dental journey - in which he reports excellent care.
So no matter what others may say about the conditions of the hospitals or medial care in the Dominican Republic - I was very well cared for and have nothing but praise for the quality of the doctors there.
It is certainly true that one is far more likely to get ill in tropical conditions where the quality of the water is dicey - particularly if one is traveling about into barrios and dirt roads as I was. Not to mention those mosquitos -- that Chikungunya swelling stayed intermittent with me for 2 years!Aye Mi Madre!!
Also true that it can be very frustrating to figure out HOW the system works in that - at least in the Capital - one has to sorta "self diagnose" a bit - going from one doc to another, getting blood work done on ones' own before each appointment, carrying one's own records... Very unlike the States where one's records are all on a central computer and shuttled from one doc to a specialist ...Not to mention that many docs will not make appointments but have you will be in the waiting room... waiting.. waiting.. waiting....
But my medical insurance there cost me $200 a month for the absolute Platinum level of coverage. Note that on that plan, it was required then (I was there from 2004-2016) that one be under the age of 65 to purchase it and there was only one company that offered a plan that automatically renewed after the 70th birthday with no medical exam.
All in all - for those of you who are retired there - or thinking of doing so -
I would say that you are in very good hands.
I doubt that there is anyone on this Board who has had more experience with the medical system in the DR than I had during my 14 years there.
I worked as a journalist and traveled all over the country - primarily by bus, gua-gua and concho - sometimes with a rental car (never had an accident). I fell on my face more than 5 times - once bit through my lip - once scrapped my leg so badly that I had to go under full anesthesia to have it cleaned out
I had a very small squid move into my ear (along with her 4 grains of sand) for two weeks up in Las Terreanas) thought it was an infection and just treated it myself - OH the dangers of being able to buy one's own meds.. Finally went to the hospital there... End - have lost 70% hearing in one ear, 30% in the other.
I was scrapped up in Dajabon - treated free at the small and very clean hospital there.
Visited a friend's dying mother in Padre Bellini (public) in Santo Domingo - Would that I would be able to spend my final hours in such a beautiful place with such compassionate people.
Done an article on the maternity hospital in Santo Domingo -(ignore the headline which is chosen by the editor) http://www.ipsnews.net/2010/10/haitian-mothers-find-care-in-dominican-republic-but-future-is-bleak/
I was in Clinic Abreu perhaps 4 times? With various who knows what? The last was the wilting who knows what? No real symptoms except I just did not want to leave the bed - i.e. - no fever, vomiting, aches or pains - for which my assistant finally dragged me over to the Clinic and the doc admitted me. Turned out to be both a staph and strep infection in my entire body with an elevated blood count so high -- that another doc - seen later for a recurring bladder infection - looked at the records and said "You are lucky that you did not die."
Since I am Bipolar1, I have also experienced the psychiatric care in the DR - been inpatient both in the public psychiatric hospital in Santiago and a private psych clinic in Gazcue.
While the public hospital in Santiago was certainly rougher - in that I did not have the requisite family members to come in and help me (although the other families were very kind in giving me soap), the shower was one cold spigot, the food was inedible to me except for the oatmeal - but the PYSCH care was perfect. It is a training hospital and there was a team of docs looking out for me. Since I was a foreigner, they would only release me into the custody of a family member so my nephew fly inf from Puerto Rico to pick me up.
Later, I found the best psychiatrist that I have EVER had - Dr. Hector Perez - in Santo Domingo - whom I credit with actually bringing me to the best state of health I have ever had. I referred at least three people to him and would recommend him to anyone who needs any sort of psych treatment. He trained in New York City and his wife, who is a therapist with an MSW, graduated from Hunter College. Both, obviously are fluent in English.
The appointments with Dr. Perez lasted one full hour. (One is very lucky in the States to get more than 40 minutes with a shrink - usually 20 minutes for $90!) He gave me the medication for free. He worked with me for over two years to find the right meds and right dosages. He treated me with more loving kindness than I have ever received.
I did not have such good luck with the dentistry but Robert has a sticky with his dental journey - in which he reports excellent care.
So no matter what others may say about the conditions of the hospitals or medial care in the Dominican Republic - I was very well cared for and have nothing but praise for the quality of the doctors there.
It is certainly true that one is far more likely to get ill in tropical conditions where the quality of the water is dicey - particularly if one is traveling about into barrios and dirt roads as I was. Not to mention those mosquitos -- that Chikungunya swelling stayed intermittent with me for 2 years!Aye Mi Madre!!
Also true that it can be very frustrating to figure out HOW the system works in that - at least in the Capital - one has to sorta "self diagnose" a bit - going from one doc to another, getting blood work done on ones' own before each appointment, carrying one's own records... Very unlike the States where one's records are all on a central computer and shuttled from one doc to a specialist ...Not to mention that many docs will not make appointments but have you will be in the waiting room... waiting.. waiting.. waiting....
But my medical insurance there cost me $200 a month for the absolute Platinum level of coverage. Note that on that plan, it was required then (I was there from 2004-2016) that one be under the age of 65 to purchase it and there was only one company that offered a plan that automatically renewed after the 70th birthday with no medical exam.
All in all - for those of you who are retired there - or thinking of doing so -
I would say that you are in very good hands.
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