VIP Health Care for $28
Date: 03/13/2006VIP Health Care for $28
International Living Postcards--your daily escape
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Cuenca, Ecuador
Dear International Living Reader,
When a friend visiting from Florida came down with a bad case of flu, the first thing I did was ask an Ecuadorian acquaintance to recommend a doctor. Three hours later we were in the doctor's waiting room in Cuenca, and 15 minutes after that my sick friend was ushered into the office by the doctor himself (few doctors in Ecuador have their own nurses).
My friend spent more than 20 minutes with the English-speaking doctor, in consultation and examination. The cost for the visit: $20. The cost for medication: $8. That evening, my friend was surprised to get a phone call from the doctor, checking to see how he was doing.
A month earlier, a different doctor made a house call to examine a friend with a serious respiratory infection. The doctor determined that she needed to be hospitalized, and because none of her friends owned a car, the doctor took her to the hospital himself in his 30-year-old Datsun.
Although Ecuador is a poor country, it offers first-rate medical care at a fraction of the cost a patient would pay in the U.S. You've a good chance of finding a doctor educated in the U.S., but if not, don't worry--most doctors here are trained in Latin America's best medical schools, and speak English. Twenty to 30 minutes with the doctor is not uncommon, the most remarked-on fact when a North American visits an Ecuadorian doctor.
The best medical care is in Quito, Cuenca, and Guayaquil, but other larger cities and towns offer good services, too. However, if you plan to spend significant time in Ecuador, and have a condition that might require medical attention, it's not a good idea to live in an isolated area; the time required to get to a doctor's office could be a serious problem.
Doctors here will tell you if they believe you require treatment not available in the local community. A doctor in Guayaquil, for instance, might suggest you seek treatment in Quito, or, in some cases, even in the U.S.
Fellow International Living readers I've spoken with have identified three hospitals in Ecuador as being the best: Voz Andes and Metropolitano in Quito, and Monte Sinai in Cuenca.
In general, medical costs run about 25% of comparable procedures in the U.S. An appointment with a specialist can usually be arranged within a week for a cost of $25 - $30. A half-hour session with an English-speaking psychiatrist runs $25 - $35. The removal, under local anesthesia, of a small lump and a biopsy, is $80 - $100. Brand name medicines typically cost about 50% of U.S. prices. Generics, which are widely available, cost much less.
Dental care in Ecuador is also a bargain. A cleaning runs $30 - $35. Cavity repairs and fillings cost $25 - $35. Partial plates run $325, and a complete set of dentures costs about $1,100, including office visits, fittings, lab work, and impressions. Like medical doctors, Ecuadorian dentists are well trained, and many speak English.
Just as you would back home, it's a good idea to ask friends for references when you choose a doctor or dentist. Ecuador has bad doctors, too, just like any other country, and a quick survey of those familiar with the local medical community will be well worth the effort.
David Morrill
For International Living
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