State of healthcare for the "so-called" poor...

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Berzin

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Nov 17, 2004
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This is something I've been wondering about for a while and I need an answer from someone who actually lives on the island.

Let's say someone is sick, needs money for an operation and/or medicine from the pharmacy and they ask me for money. I say no. What are their options assuming a snowballs' chance in hell that the story is actually true?

Can a poor person find a way to pay these bills, or are they out of luck when the little son/daughter needs an operation and medicine?

Can a sick person be denied treatment if they have no money?

The reason I ask is I want to be able to let the person know what their options are in terms of getting treatment for their sick loved ones. I don't want to just say no without being able to point them in the right direction.
 
Robert

Robert

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Jan 2, 1999
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They are out of luck if they have no money.

Yes, they can be denied treatment if they have no money.
 
C

CommTHOR

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That certainly puts things in perspective. As a Canadian who has grown up with socalized healthcare, it really breaks my heart that there are so many people worldwide without the same.

Are there any alternatives? Are there organizations like Doctors without Borders or christian missions, etc... available?
 
Robert

Robert

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A.Hidalgo said:
I thought government run hospital would take care of indigent individuals. I guess I was wrong.
Click to expand...

Most will not supply medical items.
Like, drips, drugs and any specialist dressings.
You or your family need to buy that stuff.

Ask any local intern about rotating through the public DR hospital system.
Some are a complete nightmare, only basic supplies, reusing disposable items etc etc.

You need money and insurance for good medical care here, end of story.
 
L

Lambada

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In some public hospitals you need to supply your own sutures to be stitched up after a traffic accident. It is that stark. And public hospital doctors have a workload well beyond anyone's definition of reasonable, at times. Look at the waiting areas. If someone needs a life saving op. and they don't have money or insurance, then they die. Take a look in the papers, often you'll see requests for help to fund an op. So if medical care is needed, Berzin, and you can help, then do so.
 
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canadian bob

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In some cases of severe bone breaks from moto concho accidents the breakee has been "fixed" in a P Plata Clinic, then immediately shipped to the Gov't Hospital, where medical help is minimal at best.
On one occasion, we were delivering sutures & antibiotics we brought from Canada to the P Plata Hosp and witnessed one poor girl who had just given birth... She was literally washed off with a pail of water..... We gave her the busfare to get home with the infant! Canadian Bob.
 
B

Berzin

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Well, the situation is not as cut and dried. I have to evaluate from a severe distance whether or not I am being scammed. It is impossible for me to tell from here. And the amounts being asked for seem astronomical. But man I just did'nt imagine the healthcare system to be as you all described.

Canadian Bob, that story you told of the girl giving birth and being washed off with a pail of water was horrible. Was the poor girl alone? Where was her family or her boyfriend?
 
A

A.Hidalgo

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Apr 28, 2006
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Berzin said:
Well, the situation is not as cut and dried. I have to evaluate from a severe distance whether or not I am being scammed. It is impossible for me to tell from here. And the amounts being asked for seem astronomical. But man I just did'nt imagine the healthcare system to be as you all described.

Canadian Bob, that story you told of the girl giving birth and being washed off with a pail of water was horrible. Was the poor girl alone? Where was her family or her boyfriend?
Click to expand...

If its not too personal would you like to share your story in reference to you being scammed or not?
 
Hillbilly

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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As time goes by, you will notice that several of these people (certainly not all) will become "repeaters"...most probably not using the money for the requested purpose.
RD$20 or RD$50 pesos is not going to kill any of us, so take a chance.

I like Canadian Bob's thing of bringing stuff down and using the local health clinics as a conduit for sure delivery to the needy. I think we talked about this extensively a long time ago.

Whatever, let your mind and heart be the judge of what and who you give to. It can't hurt to err on the side of generosity...

With Christmas /Season fast approaching, it might be a good idea to start collecting stuff...preparing a bunch of bags....

One time, a long time ago, I just drove down the highway, and at random, gave a bag of food to a few women at a time. Ho-Ho-Ho!! It was fun and felt good...You can do it...

HB
 
S

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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As others have already mentioned good health care costs money as it is only delivered in private clinics.

The type of clinic makes a huge difference. Most clinics while considered expensive by the poor are really very inexpensive by comparison to the US. For instance one time my wife broke her foot. Took her to the clinic where they did x-rays, cast, etc...immediate care too not like here in The US where you have to wait forever to get to see a doctor. Anyhow, total cost was about 75 USD for everything.

Now there are some where the cost is way more, but still a fraction of what things cost in the "developed" world.

I would be suspicious if people are asking you for "astronomical" amounts of money...Would you care to share what do you consider astronomical?

They cannot be denied treatment per se, but again you have to take what treatment means into perspective in the sense that if you show up at the public hospital you will get a bed if one is available, otherwise you lay on some chair or the floor until one becomes available. You get medicine if there's any available, otherwise you deal with the pain whatever way you can, and so forth. Doctors try to help as much they can, but they are overwhelmed by the load of patients and lack of resources and after a while become somewhat desensitized.
 
B

bigbird

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Hillbilly said:
Whatever, let your mind and heart be the judge of what and who you give to. It can't hurt to err on the side of generosity...

With Christmas /Season fast approaching, it might be a good idea to start collecting stuff...preparing a bunch of bags....

One time, a long time ago, I just drove down the highway, and at random, gave a bag of food to a few women at a time. Ho-Ho-Ho!! It was fun and felt good...You can do it...

HB
Click to expand...

I live in the Northeast and after Labor Day all children's summer clothes were drastically reduced. I purchased a shopping bag full for a few bucks. My last trip I gave them away. Talk about some smiling children. My daughter has 2 small children and buys the best clothing for them. Well when they outgrow them I bring to the DR. Once you leave the tourist area and see the real DR it has to do something to you.

Just my thoughts on some small things one can do to help a little.
 
C

cuas

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May 29, 2006
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I do the same thing. I pack all the summer clothes. What do not fit the neighbors or my family I gave it to the person that passes by selling aguacate, maiz or verdura.
Two years ago my sister who lives in SD cut her finger, my sister who was vacationing call a taxi to take to get stitches. My SD sister went to 3 public dispensarios to save money, no sutures. My US sister told her we are waisting money in the taxi driving around, let's go to a private clinic. Problem solved.
 
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canadian bob

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Jan 16, 2002
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Hillbilly said:
As time goes by, you will notice that several of these people (certainly not all) will become "repeaters"...most probably not using the money for the requested purpose.
RD$20 or RD$50 pesos is not going to kill any of us, so take a chance.

I like Canadian Bob's thing of bringing stuff down and using the local health clinics as a conduit for sure delivery to the needy. I think we talked about this extensively a long time ago.

Whatever, let your mind and heart be the judge of what and who you give to. It can't hurt to err on the side of generosity...

With Christmas /Season fast approaching, it might be a good idea to start collecting stuff...preparing a bunch of bags....

One time, a long time ago, I just drove down the highway, and at random, gave a bag of food to a few women at a time. Ho-Ho-Ho!! It was fun and felt good...You can do it...

HB
Click to expand...

Thanks HB! Actually, we bring stuff directly to the pharmacia inside the Puerto Plata General Hospital as they have NOTHING. The private Clinics are well supplied with drugs & access to sophisticated instruments.
By the way, if you do plan on bringing antibiotics, sutures etc down to hospitals in the DR, be sure to have a covering letter from the donating Doctor, otherwise you may have a problem at the airport! Also, be sure to give it to the Hospital Pharmacist, NOBODY ELSE, or it will just be sold on the street... sad but true. Canadian Bob.
 
C

canadian bob

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Berzin said:
Well, the situation is not as cut and dried. I have to evaluate from a severe distance whether or not I am being scammed. It is impossible for me to tell from here. And the amounts being asked for seem astronomical. But man I just did'nt imagine the healthcare system to be as you all described.

Canadian Bob, that story you told of the girl giving birth and being washed off with a pail of water was horrible. Was the poor girl alone? Where was her family or her boyfriend?
Click to expand...

No family, no boyfriend, no money, nada. We felt very humbled.
Canadian Bob.
 
B

Berzin

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Nov 17, 2004
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A.Hidalgo said:
If its not too personal would you like to share your story in reference to you being scammed or not?
Click to expand...

I can't get into too many details, all I know is now that I'm going to be there in two days everyone is sick and everyones' cell phones are broken, both requiring money.
 
M

miguel

I didn't last long...
Jul 2, 2003
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Sad but true!

Berzin said:
. Let's say someone is sick, needs money for an operation and/or medicine from the pharmacy and they ask me for money. I say no. What are their options assuming a snowballs' chance in hell that the story is actually true?

Can a poor person find a way to pay these bills, or are they out of luck when the little son/daughter needs an operation and medicine?

Can a sick person be denied treatment if they have no money?

The reason I ask is I want to be able to let the person know what their options are in terms of getting treatment for their sick loved ones. I don't want to just say no without being able to point them in the right direction.
Click to expand...
Buddy, sadly but if they have no money, may God have mercy on their souls!.

Make 1,000% sure that you are saying "no" because you know for a fact that they are scamming you.

I am always wondering how in hell Dominicans do it. The medicine are so expensive over there.

I pay for my brother's medicine more than 1,500 pesos a week. Can you imagine if he had no one to help him?.

My friend Mayra had a major surgery done on her a few months ago (just finished her quimo a few days ago) and after all was said and done, the bill was more than 100,000 pesos!.

If you change your mind and decide to help, make sure that the money will be going to said treatment/medicine.

If you are able to help, man, go right ahead. Just do it for the right reasons. Don't do it to impress anybody, do it because you want to help someone, anyone. And them make sure you make them aware that it's coming from your heart and not to impress anybody!.

A few hundred pesos doesn't kill anybody if those pesos are going towards someone who truly needs it!. Just make sure they are not trying to take advantage of you!. I think you have read enough stories on this site to know if someone is!.
 
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