Saturday, March 19, 2011

Seven Shots In Michoacán


This post is not about violence in Michoacán. If you were looking for that, you might instead go here.

No, this is about some of the free or inexpensive health care available to both Mexicanos and Gringos living here. No ifs, ands or buts.

Our doctor, Dr. G., internist, prescribed for me seven vitamin injections, one every other day. It was highly inconvenient to go into Pátzcuaro for him to administer the shots. But I realized that I could walk to the community clinic a kilometer away. There they administered the shots for free, plus I had a nice walk.

We've also had free seasonal flu inoculations at local clinics. No hassle, no paperwork, no ID, FM3 or passport. It's a great benefit, generously offered. Dr. G. would have administered the shots for free also, but I would have had to drive 30 minutes to arrive early at his consultorio to avoid a possibly long wait. Knowing about the community clinic was a real plus. Hardly 5 minutes passed between my arrival at the clinic and receiving the injections.

¡Viva México! ¡Viva Michoacán!

6 comments:

Michael Dickson said...

The Mexican health-care system! You gotta love it. Yet there are people who actually drive back to the U.S. for medical care. Boggles the mind.

Tancho said...

Hands down I would take the Mexican style of care, which to me combines the new technology available and the service aspect like home doctors visits that use to be the norm in the states 50 years ago before the health care mess.

Brenda Maas said...

I agree. I use the Drs. at the Farmacia Similiares and they have always been good. The one time they couldn't help me they sent me on to a specialist, who rapidly and accurately diagnosed me and sent me on to the person who could help me with the problem.
They take the time to listen to you and seem to give you credit for knowing something about your own body; whereas NOB it seems the Drs. assume you are a total idiot, give you 5 minutes of their precious time and almost always totally dismiss everything you have to say.
I also like it that they will give you natural remedys/homeopathic alternatives if they feel they will work rather than pushing unnecessary synthetic drugs which almost always cause as many problems as they fix.

Anonymous said...

While the free innoculations were convenient to receive, and the no-cost aspect welcome, I don't think anyone should confuse the Mexican "health care system" with these shots. (and I'm not suggesting it was Mike who was confused). Lucky for you that the local clinic was staffed and had supplies, because many in the country are not and do not. But, we're discussing the Patzcuaro area and you seem lucky to have this resource so readily available. And if someone tells you they would trust the Dr. Simi physicans to treat them for a serious ailment or disease I'll show you someone who probably doesn't value their health very much. If it's convenient to visit one of the major population centers in the country you can find some excellent medical advice. The further away from those cities you get the care generally declines rapidly. The innoculation programs throughout the country are one of the few bright spots in a health care system that's not very good, IMO. Now, eat more vegetables and get some additional exercise ... and you won't need more of the vitamin shots! Stay well, all.

Anonymous said...

To the nameless one and those with names too: There are two health-care systems in Mexico. One is for folks with money. The facilities are great. The doctors are great. The care is great. I confine myself to that system, mostly. It is not free, nor does it cost just a few pesos, but it's far less expensive than comparable care above the border. You don't need health insurance in Mexico.

The other system is for poor people. It is cheap to free, and it's dicey, depending to a great extent on luck and location. I do not recommend it generally. But for minor afflictions, it often works well.

Don Cuevas said...

Hola, Anonymous. (I don't usuall allow anonymous posting, but as I know you from the Thorn Tree. I permitted it.) Thanks for commenting today. Please choose a moniker if you wish to post here again. It's mostly so we can tell you apart from the other Anonymi out there.)

The vegetables and fruits here are great, and we eat plenty of them. I just needed an iron booster.

As for "Mike", there used to be a Mike here, but he hasn't been around in a couple of years.

Saludos,
Don Cuevas