The Tale of a Medical Emergency in La Ceiba
As most of you have figured out by now, I live in La Ceiba, Honduras. A small city of about 250000 souls on the Caribbean Coast of Honduras. Anyone would say that this is not the right place to get sick right? Well you are wrong!
There are many good medical facilities in La Ceiba at reasonable, affordable prices. Last weekend I woke up with a pain in my left calf. At first I thought it must be the result of a cramp. But it continued to swell and knew it was time to visit the doctor. After a physical check up, he ordered a series of tests. One of them a Doppler scan of my leg to find if something was wrong there. No this might not seem like a high tech exam, but remember, we are in a small city in Central America… Oh. The cost for the exam? $65 USA dollars.
It turns out there are three or four places in town where I can get this exam done. Unfortunately, the result was not good for me: a deep phlebitic thrombosis on my left lower leg! The doctors’ immediate reaction was: This is serious! “It is beyond my expertise, you need a specialist!” He got up from his desk walked out of his office in the clinic at the D’Antoni Hospital and checked with his colleague, a few doors down the aisle if he could see me! Yes, I needed an Angiologist. Fortunately, we have just about any type of medical specialists in La Ceiba. The price for a medical date with the specialist was a reasonable $30 USA dollars!
The bottom line is that I can stay in the comfort of my home. I can relax and take the medical treatment that I need without the need of traveling outside of La Ceiba. Meanwhile, I can rest at my makeshift office at home. The view will serve as inspiration to write and post or two.
Are planning a trip to Atlantida or the Bay Islands of Honduras? You will find it comforting to know that there affordable medical services in town. I did not mention this before, but it does get better! Another plus is that many of the physicians actually speak English. If you do not speak Spanish, chances are your doctor will speak English!
Enjoy your travels in Honduras, and remember, a medical emergency in La Ceiba can be dealt with at a very reasonable price!
