Job Discussion Forums

[Guy Courchesne]

I give thanks for...a free Mexican hospital! I can proudly say that I now have first hand experience with a government hospital here after breaking my foot today.

I went to a non-IMSS free hospital run by the city. I still hold to my advice on never entering such a place if anything serious befalls me, but for a broken foot, I figured they couldn't do too badly.

And they didn't. Long wait since I wasn't a priority case, which is to be expected and pretty much like a Canadian hospital, but I got in after 2 hours in a busy ward. Xrays were quick and the Plaster Masters had a thick cast on me pretty quickly. Overall a good job. Total cost? Not a thin dime.

However, the place was run down...terribly underfunded it looked like. No wheelchairs around. Filthy in most of the halls and the examination rooms. Everyone...doctors, admin, the Xray tech, all smoking inside, though patients and visitors are warned by numerous signs that No Smoking is permitted.

I'd use the place for other broken bones, but anything worse than that...no way.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

I warned you about dancing too near the edge of the table on that moonlighting job of yours! When you go back to work, tell the club owner to get you a sturdier table, okay?

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

[ls650]

I feel the same about the local hospital. When locals ask me why I wear a motorcycle helmet in 35c heat, I tell them that I think the local hospital is okay for a broken arm - but not a broken skull!

[MELEE]

So Sorry to hear about the broken foot, how's the cast? All the ones I've seen around here look like a first year med student's first attempt.
It's great that it worked out that you didn't have to pay. Good thing the PRD has been managing the city for a while huh?

I think all public hostipals in Mexico have the problem that shabby/outdated and dirty look an aweful lot alike. An old floor can be meticulously scrubbed and it still looks dirty. Walls in need of repainting look dirty. Sheets that have been washed and sanitized a million and one time, loose that fresh washed feel forever.

[lozwich]

This is actually something that's been on my mind since I started thinking about returning to Mexico.

What is the private system like? Here in the wilds of Boggy, hospitals and doctors in the private system are very good, and I have no nervousness about having all of the operations I've been going through lately. I feel a bit worried about medical services in Mexico, given that I'll be coming with knees that might need more work in the future.

Thoughts?

And, yeah, hope the foot heals ok Guy. How'd you do it??

[J Sevigny]

IMSS is heralded by many people for the high quality of its surgery. I don't know if that's a myth or not but I hear it all the time from my students -- for a diagnosis, go to a private hospital, for surgery go to IMSS.

I have also heard that the doctors who work at IMSS are the same ones who work at private hospitals. I suspect that the biggest problem with IMSS is administrative rather than technological.

A Mexican relative recently had a cyst removed from her kidney at an IMSS hospital in Coahuila and everything went fine. One of my students had a softball-sized tumor in his chest and IMSS saved his life. That was in Michoacan, also a PRD zone.

In any case, IMSS is a far cry better than the health care insurance I received in the States, which was none.

[Samantha]

OMG... Breaking a foot is not a great thing to have happen in any country but navigating the usual hazards and stairs in Mexico has to be a real pain. On the bright side look at all the stuff you get out of doing.

On the subject of hospitals, don't rule out the Military Hospitals if you have one nearby. Anyone can use them. They have low price schedules, and will treat you immediately in emergency. Their staff of doctors are well trained and have private practises (at least here they do). From personal experience, on more than one occasion, (like once when I nearly cut my finger off with a sharp knife) I can highly recommend the Hospital Militar, where they follow up at no extra charge. That was about 5 years ago when I seemingly went through an accident prone stage, and we only paid 80 pesos a visit then.

I am comfortable that we will always find adequate medical care here in Mexico. The IMSS system is very busy but lots of full time gringo retirees have signed on and seem happy with it. I have been in the IMSS emergency room treatment area once to visit my M-I-L who had contracted dengue fever (the deadly version) and it was a scary busy circus in there. I would NOT want to be laying there myself. The security guard came and fetched us out after 10 minutes, as that's the rule. Suegra recovered fine thanks to IMSS doctors.

[Guy Courchesne]

[thelmadatter]

sure sure ... a likely story (well, I guess it is. I twisted my ankle very badly once the same way *knock on cyberwood* nothing worse)}

I still like my story better ... that you were in the Zocalo and/or Oaxaca kicking some behind! (whose... I'll let you decide and no I wont tell Migra either)

[danielita]

I have only had experience regtistering for IMSS and that was enough for me. It took 5 hours and two trips to the office to get my cartilla.

Glad to know everything went well for you Guy! Good luck navigating the streets of DF.

D

[lozwich]

[Guy Courchesne]

You must be channeling Loz...I just finished adjusting the crutches to fit properly, after a sore day yesterday. I'm soon going to have Olympic armpits I think.

And, I'm looking at that damn Mexican stand-up shower (no tub) with a little unease. Yesterday was a wet floor disaster.

The funny thing is, it doesn't hurt in the slightest. The cast completely immobilizes the foot and I'm not to put any weight on it at all for the type of break it is.

Thanks for the sentiments everyone...this doesn't stop the Dec. 2nd get together however...

[MELEE]

[lozwich]

Brilliant idea Melee! Actually, get a stool, and a little footrest to put your foot on if you're going to be in plaster for 6 weeks. After my op, I was only doing the plastic bag wrapped leg thing for two days, but the heat of the plastic made me all woozy in the shower, and I found it really hard to keep vertical and not put my foot down.

My shower doesn't have enough room for a chair, and I don't have a significant other to hold me up!