Should I Worry About the Doctor's Strike?

muggles,

kudos on the desire to cover every contingency. let me also alert you to the avian flu that's been found in some birds recently on the island, the flight to canada diverted to miami today because a family of 8 became ill after eating something in DR (or were drugged depending on the account you read), malaria, dengue, and the gripe that's afflicting many recently. oh, and i've had allergies for the last few days to dust or something in the air. by the way, many will tell you the medical care's not that good and the hospitals are a scary place to visit... so try not to have any problems while you're here.

enjoy your vacation!

Oh, for goodess sakes! Come here, enjoy yourself. Take proper precautions. And, don't do anything stupid.

Don't know where you are coming from, but I assume you have enough basic knowledge that, should you come down with a bit of the flu or experience some other basic problem. you can go to a farmacia and know what to buy.

Anything else life threatening, wouldn't you immediately fly home anyway for medical care from your own physicians?

If you spend your vacation days worrying about the potential of getting sick or having an accident and not being able to access local medical care, then you won't enjoy your stay and you may just end up making yourself sick!!!

Please just come to the DR and enjoy your vacation in this very special place.

muggles11 said:

Headed to Playa Dorada on Monday and a bit worried about the Doctor's strike. The news mentioned that the striking doctors were on the public payroll. Are there private doctors in and around Playa Dorada? Can they get you into a hospital if needed? Will there be staff at the hospital?

My family is in decent health, but just trying to anticipate my options if emergency medical treatment is needed for someone.

TIA for any replies.

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Not to worry, this is a 48 hour strike of doctors on the government payroll and it will be over by Monday. There are private doctors and private clinics and maybe one of the posters in the area can suggest a few.

Regards,
PJT

No freakin' way YOU or YOUR FAMILY would go to a public hospital, unless you just took out a new million dollar policy on your "significant other!" HAHAHA

All of us use private clinics for our medical needs and we do just fine. I raised nearly a dozen that way and I am as healthy as can be.

Do not sweat the small stuff.
1) Do not eat onthe street, unless you can peel it yourself.
2) Do not "go native" , your stomach is not made for that.
3) Keep hydrated. Drinks lots of bottled water. Buy it off the hotel property to save major money.
4) Use Sun block (30+ is advised) Lobster red will ruin a holiday
5) Bring good bug repellent, with lots of DEET in it. Keeps our little bastids away from your arms and ankles, especially in the evening.
6) Bring a few packets or small bottles of something to keep your hands clean. It's always in the supermarkets...near the checkout counters. Use it frequently.

Apart from that, you will have a ball....

HB

If you need Medical treatment you would go to the Bournigal Clinic in Puerta Plata, about 10 minutes from Playa Dorada. It is private and very well staffed with excellent Doctors. They have nothing to do with the strike.

muggles11 said:

Headed to Playa Dorada on Monday and a bit worried about the Doctor's strike. The news mentioned that the striking doctors were on the public payroll. Are there private doctors in and around Playa Dorada? Can they get you into a hospital if needed? Will there be staff at the hospital?

My family is in decent health, but just trying to anticipate my options if emergency medical treatment is needed for someone.

TIA for any replies.

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I think it is very dangerous if you needed a hospital.
I think it is very dangerous for tourists to visit this country.
I hope that you sleep well tonight.
I am also very worried. And I already did not sleep for a week.

????

Dre Broeders said:

I think it is very dangerous if you needed a hospital.
I think it is very dangerous for tourists to visit this country.
I hope that you sleep well tonight.
I am also very worried. And I already did not sleep for a week.

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What??????????

muggles,
unless you're not picking up on it... some of the posts, my post above included, are a little(?) sarcastic.

relax, come down, RELAX, and enjoy your vacation.

get out and explore.
it's a beautiful island filled with many things to see, do, and enjoy.
use reasonable, not extreme, care in the things you do and you'll go home like most do - wanting to return

muggles, probably a good idea to stay at arm's length from the other tourists - well some of them, at any rate . Try and stay away from those who worry unnecessarily because, I'm told, that sort of thing can spread like wildfire.

When people are visiting any foreign country for a first time, it is surely natural to be sceptical when hearing something which is out of the ordinary, i.e. a doctors' strike. Is it necessary to undermine their innocent question by sarcasm just because we live here and know the answers to many of the queries because we deal with them on a daily basis? I am fully aware that some new posters come onto this forum with an 'attitude' problem and they fully deserve the cryptic remarks and comments they receive but can we, as a group of ex-pats, who alledgedly know better, please be a little kinder to new people asking simple questions so that they chose to return to DR1 and are not put off asking simple questions at the fear of being ridiculed for asking what others may deem to be the "obvious" answers.

PJT said:

Not to worry, this is a 48 hour strike of doctors on the government payroll and it will be over by Monday. There are private doctors and private clinics

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Now I am a little bit more relaxed.
I can go to a privat doctor if necessary.
I was worrying myself very much.

Lambada said:

muggles, probably a good idea to stay at arm's length from the other tourists - well some of them, at any rate . Try and stay away from those who worry unnecessarily because, I'm told, that sort of thing can spread like wildfire.

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Never truer words spoken in jest!

I dont get the sarcastic replies to the OP. I just got back last week and got HORRIBLY sick while there. (i think it was from some bad Lambi). It ended up being a severe intestinal infection (and no i dont drink the water...etc..this was trip #10 for me).

THe small hotel i was at had a list of doctors and the doctor actually came to the hotel! (great guy). He made two house calls gave me two different injections and about 5 different meds. THe total bill came to about 100 USD. (worth every penny!!!! (even tho my domincano friend said i was over charged...but it was deal compared to the US even if I had insurance) and he got me up and back on my feet within a day).

I dont think it is paranoid to worry about getting sick in a foreign country. It scared the heck out of me when it happened to me. Major cramps, spasms, vomiting and diahrea and a few times I had real difficulty breathing. There was no phone in my room and my friends were staying around the corner and my best friend in DR had no idea what i was going thru. SCARED me like HECK!!!

The hotel i as at was nothing fancy (i was at costalunga as el candil was booked solid)...and even tho i had some issues with the hotel in general...miguel at the front desk really helped out.

So yes...even a seasoned traveler can get sick!! and The original post was very valid considering.

jrzyguy, maybe you should have followed HB's advice not to go native. Even after 10 trips, the stomach of a tourist is not made for that.

To be honest, I think it is very bad luck if you get really sick when you are on holiday for a couple of weeks but I know when I went away to Majorca from UK I must have taken the nasty bug I got with me and, unfortunately, gave it everyone else who was with me... being sensible but not paranoid when away from home is probably the best advice.