What to Do When You Get Sick Traveling

The older we get, the more chance there is of getting sick on an out-of-the-country holiday.  That shouldn’t stop us from traveling but it’s a good idea to go prepared.  This particular trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for me included some medical treatment that I wasn’t expecting and I wasn’t as prepared as I thought I was!  I’m still shaking my head at what transpired.

Puerto Vallarta has been known for years as a place to buy cheap medication, with or without a prescription.  Nowadays, you may be required to have a very cheap consultation first with a doctor who is often situated next to the drug store if you are requesting more potent drugs.

Because of the large medical tourism component in Puerto Vallarta, drugstores and “hospitals” can be found every couple of blocks throughout the city now, especially in those areas catering specifically to tourists.  People staying in old town, Zona Romantica, and Conchas Chinas can easily access the clean, modern facilities.

Many people use medical tourism for specific reasons.  They may have been told they need an MRI or CAT Scan and there is a waiting list of 6 months to a year in their home state or province.  Or they are on the waiting list for a hip or knee replacement and again the wait is long.  Depending on your age and your ability to pay, it may take a lot of the stress off of you to have the procedure done quickly.  Whether your medical insurance will cover any of the costs needs to be determined before you leave your own country. 

If you want to recuperate in a warmer climate and you have the money, going to Puerto Vallarta for a medical procedure may be the right option for you.  Do your homework first though!  Talk to people in person or online who have had the same procedure done in Puerto Vallarta.  Find out what their experience was like, including the follow-up care.  Do as much research as you can on the hospital where you want to get the procedure done. 

Also research the surgeons. There are many well trained surgeons in Puerto Vallarta who have taken their initial training in Mexico City or Guadalajara, which have excellent medical training facilities.  They’ve often gone on to take more studies in their field of expertise in the USA or Europe.  They’ve chosen to return to Mexico because that is where their families live, a very important part of Mexican culture.

The other thing that may be important to you is whether your doctor speaks English or not.  Many of the newer hospitals in Puerto Vallarta have a number of people on staff who are fluent in both Spanish and English.

I’m not here for medical tourism.  2 weeks into my vacation I was dealing with a very tight chest and had difficulty breathing.  I started coughing a lot.  I finally ended up in a very nice “Hospital” in old town.  A friend who lives in PV all winter accompanied me. There was also another “Hospital” located across the street, next to a drugstore. 

The toll free number I had to call from Mexico to my travel medical insurance company did not work.  It went to a phone number advertising medic alert bracelets.  It took a few hours to get that straightened out so I was flying blind for awhile.  Insurance companies sometimes don’t realize making a call in a foreign country isn’t always easy.  The insurance companies usually have a list of recognized medical facilities.  Next time I will be more pro-active about getting the information on hospitals before I leave home.

Hospital on Every Corner!

I was in what looked like a small, clean emergency room, similar to what I was used to at home in Canada.  There was an English speaking doctor on staff and I went in to see her and gave her my symptoms.  She suggested getting me into an emergency bed before doing some further testing.  A drip was hooked up, just in case I was dehydrated, a common thing for many patients in Puerto Vallarta.  I didn’t think I was dehydrated because I’d been doing the preventative things; drinking electrolytes and avoiding too much alcohol.  My bodily functions were also working well, which was also an indicator of good hydration.

The doctor also made arrangements for blood work and a chest x-ray, a normal process I would have gone through at home.

The next thing that happened was the receptionist came around to collect a pre-payment from me.  Obviously they weren’t going to bill the insurance company directly.  I had a choice. Pay 10,000 pesos upfront or charge it to my mastercard.  Since I didn’t have that much cash on me I put it on my card, the equivalent of about $850 CDN.

While they were dealing with me another woman about the same age ended up in the bed next to me.  She was also put on a drip and her husband put up the required 10,000 pesos.  She remarked at one time, "This is only dripping once every 6 seconds!"

The next 2 hours were spent on tests, including the chest x-ray.  I watched the saline solution go down maybe a ¼ cup to ½ cup during that time; definitely the slowest drip I ever had!  The doctor finally figured I needed a shot into the intravenous drip for whatever was bugging my lungs.  Then she suggested arranging for a CAT scan the next day.

About that point I was beginning to question my treatment.  Once the decision for the scan the next day had been made, I was disconnected from the IV, but not before the final bill was presented and signed off.  Final total was over $1,000 CDN.  Did I feel better?  Yes, I could breathe without coughing.  I was handed a prescription for antibiotics, post nasal drip, and cough medicine, another $35 worth of treatment.

The doctor told me to show up at the “hospital” at 8 AM the next day for my scan.  Before I left she said their CAT scan was broken down and I’d have to go across town to get it done and then see an internist at that office in the afternoon.  Hmmmm?

I got back to the hotel and decided before I had any more tests or treatment I’d better try again to reach the insurance company.  Good thing I did because if there was a follow-up CAT scan, I needed the okay from them first.  They contacted the doctor and got her to send through copies of the medical treatment I had received.  There was no request for a CAT scan.  I have it in my records though, which I will forward in a few days when I get home.

I will be reimbursed for my medical costs but it could have ended up costing me out of pocket if I hadn’t followed my gut feelings.  We also found out after that the facility isn’t a “Hospital” but a glorified clinic.  Had I seen someone upstairs, I wouldn’t have been “admitted” for all the tests.

I’ll go prepared next trip with the information I need to pass on in case of an emergency.