Emergency Care in a Mexican Hospital
After falling and breaking my leg on a dark street in a Northern Sonoran town, I’d been transported to a local hospital by volunteers from the local Red Cross, or Cruz Roja. Upon arriving at the emergency room entrance at the side of the hospital, ER staff came out to help the Red Cross crew unload me from the ambulance.
I was wheeled into the emergency room for an initial consult with a physician, and was then wheeled to the nearby radiology department for x-rays before being taken back to the emergency room. While there, I called my wife to let her know what had happened, and just in time a male nurse came to my bedside to give me an injection of pain medication. The injection was made in the back of my hand, which was new to me, but in a few minutes I didn’t much care.
While I lay there, two very friendly (and young) physicians, a man and a woman, stopped by to introduce themselves and see how I was doing. While we chatted, more emergency room staff came in and put a temporary brace on my leg. Constructed of lightweight materials and encircled by three aluminum bands, the brace effectively immobilized the leg from thigh to shin. With the introduction of medical products I began to think about the costs of such goods and services in the U.S., and wondering how much they would cost there.
I’d once paid $800 for an emergency room x-ray in the U.S., and know that orthotic products don’t come cheap. Add to that medicine, nurse and doctor services, and I realized I could be racking up a huge bill that I’d be responsible to pay. And come to think of it, I hadn’t been charged anything for the ambulance transport, which would have cost hundreds of dollars in the states.
As a frequent traveler to Mexico I was aware of my lack of medical coverage, but hadn’t been aware of coverage options, or medical evacuation services. To be honest, I hadn’t investigated traveler’s medical insurance options because I thought they’d be too expensive compared to paying for the service. Boy, was I wrong.
Even though I’d traveled to and lived in Mexico for years, it wasn’t until I was back in the U.S. after my accident that I became aware of affordable insurance options for international travelers, as well as special evacuation services that coordinate the evacuation of Americans from foreign nations. I’d recommend that you check your insurance coverage and, if necessary, research additional options for overseas medical insurance before departing on a trip to another country – it can really make a difference.
As I was worriedly contemplating potential medical costs, my wife arrived. As we waited, one of the ER doctors came by to show us the x-ray, and explain that the leg was broken and would probably require surgery. One of the nurses who worked with an orthopedic surgeon at the IMSS hospital gave us his contact information, and we were soon to get even more attention from local orthopedic surgeons.
Finally, the moment of truth arrived when my wife went to speak with the cashier, seated at a nearby desk, to find out how much I owed. The bill came to 380 pesos, at the time about 35 dollars. Greatly relieved, I later found out that because this is a state hospital, the costs were most likely subsidized by the state government. It could have been much, much worse. But I wasn’t off the hook yet, the big expenses were still to come with surgery costs.
Due to the fact that I couldn’t walk and my leg was locked in a straight position, my wife couldn’t transport me in her car. I called the Red Cross again, to see if I could get an ambulance ride home. They agreed, and sheepishly asked if I could pay something for the transport – 50 pesos, or about five dollars. For a ride that would cost hundreds of dollars north of the border.
The ambulance arrived, this time with a crew of four very genial attendants and a heavy-duty gurney (they were prepared - at nearly six feet tall and over 250 lbs., I’m not an easy patient to carry). When we arrived at my home (which was surrounded by curious, well-wishing neighbors who had gathered to see why the ambulance was there) they carried me into the house and to a back bedroom.
The dedicated and very capable ambulance crews of the Red Cross are volunteers who do truly great, selfless and needed work. Several times a week they are called to transport car accident victims on the highway, and in addition provide low-cost (or no cost) emergency medical transport to the citizens of the community on a daily basis.
Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up - And I'm in Mexico
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