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Today we received news that my sister in-law passed away while in labor. She went to the public hospital at 11:00PM and was pronounced dead at 10:00 Am. There were no doctors available to perform a simple C section. So the nurse told my wifes sister in-law to push and then she started to have a heart attack. All of this happened when there was no doctor around to help. At 10:00 Am a doctor came and told the family to call OIJ and get a investigation for a criminal act.
This is to all who think that CR is paradise, I know that I will be living the rest of my life there for family reasons. But to keep your eyes covered with rose colored glasses and think this country is the answer to your prayers, understand that it is only a country not heaven!.It is a tragedy and I certainly am very sorry indeed that you and your family are suffering however, based on the amount of money that’s available for health care in this country, it seems to me that Costa Rica is doing a tremendous job with very limited resources.
According to [ http://seekingalpha.com/article/146992-comparing-u-s-healthcare-spending-with-other-oecd-countries ] the US spends around US$7,290 per capita on heath care – by far the highest in the world – while Costa Rica spend approximately $743 [ http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_per_cap_tot_exp_on_hea_in_int_dol-capita-total-expenditure-international-dollars ]
While the US spends ten times as much per capita on health care as Costa Rica does, the difference in the quality of care is not that significant. ..
In fact…
According to [ http://abcnews.go.com/WN/changing-life-preventing-maternal-mortality/story?id=9914009 ] “… the U.S. ranks behind more than 40 other countries when it comes to maternal death rates, with 11 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies when measured in 2005. More women die in the U.S. after giving birth than die in countries including Poland, Croatia, Italy and Canada, to name a few.”
The same article refers to: “A new report out of California found the number of women who died in the state after giving birth has nearly tripled over the past decade, from 5.6 deaths per 100,000 to 16.9 per 100,000 in 2006.”
Amnesty International has also urged the USA to confront the shocking maternal mortality rate [ http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/usa-urged-confront-shocking-maternal-mortality-rate-2010-03-12 ]
“With a lifetime risk of maternal deaths that is greater than in 40 other countries, including virtually all industrialized nations, the USA has failed to reverse the two-decade upward trend in preventable maternal deaths, despite pledges to do so. ”
At 25 per 100,000 Costa Rica’s maternal death rate is certainly higher than the USA’s 16.9 [ http://www.who.int/whosis/mort/profiles/mort_amro_cri_costarica.pdf ]
According to your CIA government friends [ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html ]
The USA infant mortality rate for 2010 is estimated to be around 6.22 and, for a Less Developed Country (LDC) like Costa Rica to have an infant mortality rate of only 8.77 per thousand is a remarkable achievement. (Nicaragua 25, Panama 12.67, Mexico 18.42)
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comI can´t believe that people seem to endlessly tell themselves and others stories about the CAJA system. I have used it recently because as a resident I have had to pay for it so I thought I would give it a shot. All I can say is I feel sorry for anyone that cannot afford private medicine here. Relying on the caja and the ¨”doctor?” I experienced is a joke.
First they treat the paients like cattle. Next what happened here? Did alll these doctors cheat their way through school? With no malpractice suits here the doctors who screw people up are free to keep practicing _ just like the attorneys. Really when it comes to lawyering and doctors – Costa Rica is not where you want to experience either.
I know, I know I am going to hear how great clinica biblica is or Cima. Get over it none of the private hospitals here compare to the high level of service in the US. Keep dreaming.
If and when I need a major operation I will be on the plane back to the US so fast you won´t believe it. They have already damaged me once during an emergency operation at CIMA.
Also you have to face it that the majority of Ticos do not like Gringos. Do you want to be in a hospital at the mercy of people that intuitivly dislike you or are jealous of you? Not me.
I didn’t mean for this to be a stand for good or bad of the system, its just that people have a different service if you are in the private hospital or the public. Tico’s such as my wifes family don’t have the choice to spend $3,000 for hospital charges.
Just don’t come to Costa Rica thinking it is the most incredible heaven on earth.
Like in the wizard of OZ, don’t look behind the curtain.nobody want you in cr,your country is racist and bunch of criminals killing people all over the world.
[quote=”bushi”]nobody want you in cr,your country is racist and bunch of criminals killing people all over the world.[/quote]
LOL!!!
[quote=”ticorealtor”]I didn’t mean for this to be a stand for good or bad of the system, its just that people have a different service if you are in the private hospital or the public. Tico’s such as my wifes family don’t have the choice to spend $3,000 for hospital charges.
[/quote]
Condolences for your familys loss.
My wife and I are in the Caja system and do realize that there are issues. The thing is that circumstances can also occur in a private hospital. My mother died as a result of medical error in a hospital in the States.When we moved here we knew that we would be accepting the same services as the Ticos.
On the flip side of your story, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and treated through Caja and declared cancer free. We are now a year and two months out and she is still cancer free.
We trust the health care system as much as the private hospitals but anyone who has had cancer is susceptible to any type of cancer and we have to make sure that she doesn’t have a recurrence.
[quote=”bushi”]nobody want you in cr,your country is racist and bunch of criminals killing people all over the world.[/quote]
That is a statement that I would expect from an American extremist. We have been treated with nothing but respect by our Tico neighbors and my plan is to eventually become a citizen of Costa Rica.
You have made me realize, with this one statement, that there are racists even in Costa Rica that are willing to lump all of a group together in your judgement.
We came here because the land is beautiful and the people are friendly and helpful. It’s not welcome news to know that people like you exist here too.
There are two kinds of evidence being discussed here regarding the quality of life in Costa Rica; anecdotal evidence which is the personal experiences of an individual, and empirical evidence which is the data supplied by Scot. I use both, but anecdotal evidence must always be taken in context and should take a back seat to empirical evidence.
We deal with probabilities. The empirical evidence suggests that the odds are your experience with health care in Costa Rica will NOT be of less quality than your experience in the U.S. in most cases. Of course, if your experience is part of the statistical negative data, the odds don’t matter any more for you.
I have read many posts here regarding health care, cost of living and crime. They almost always take the same trajectory. It begins with a story of a personal experience either praising or condemning the quality of life here. It is then followed by responses of more personal experiences, pro and con, and some statistics. Usually the statistics show a more positive picture. In the end, we have to weigh both but must use whatever analytical abilities we have to decide which has more value for our personal situation. Even with the dark clouds,I still love Costa Rica.
[quote=”ticorealtor”]Today we received news that my sister in-law passed away while in labor. She went to the public hospital at 11:00PM and was pronounced dead at 10:00 Am. There were no doctors available to perform a simple C section. So the nurse told my wifes sister in-law to push and then she started to have a heart attack. All of this happened when there was no doctor around to help. At 10:00 Am a doctor came and told the family to call OIJ and get a investigation for a criminal act.
This is to all who think that CR is paradise, I know that I will be living the rest of my life there for family reasons. But to keep your eyes covered with rose colored glasses and think this country is the answer to your prayers, understand that it is only a country not heaven!.[/quote]Very sorry for your loss TR.
[quote=”sprite”]if your experience is part of the statistical negative data, the odds don’t matter any more for you.
[/quote]
[b]That is the absolute truth![/b]This was posted in the wrong place and reposted here by Scott
costaricafinca
Posted Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 10:59 AM from 201.203.217.70
My condolences go out to you and your family, TicoRealtor
I was very sorry to read that TicRealorssister in law had died during childbirth due to the lack of a doctor to perform a Cesarean birth. I would presume the baby died also.A friend who also posts on another CR forum, husband has recently passed, due to ‘neglect’ by being placed in a storage room at another CAJA hospital and she too, was advised by ‘officials at the American embassy’ to lay charges against the facility. She hasn’t posted this info on the forum, as of yet, as it is still to painful to her, and she has returned with his ashes to the USA.
Our workers wife and adult son were involved in a vehicle accident yesterday, at 6am, which resulted in our friend being admitted to the hospital in Canas. She was later transported by my husband due to no ambulances being available, to Liberia where she waited all night in emergency. Our worker has returned this morning to find out ‘what is going on’.I’m not quite sure on what happened there…
Anyway, I wanted to edit my post to read [b]”Our workers wife and adult son were involved in a vehicle accident yesterday, at 6am,(on their way to an appointment in SJ with a private specialist to ‘see what he could suggest to fix a botched operation’ that was done in the Liberia CAJA hospital last December and which CAJA will not perform) which resulted in our friend being admitted to the hospital in Cañas.[/b] She was later transported by my husband due to no ambulances being available, to Liberia where she waited all night in emergency. Our worker has returned this morning to find out ‘what is going on’.
You know we are on a welove costa rica website. and i really do but i also firmly believe that costa rica is not the warm fuzzy one size fits all place to live that at many times is made out to be.
NEXT to Bushi = You have to call a spade a spade. I love it here regardless of the ineptitude of not all but many professionals here. I include the vast majority of professions here.
I simply accept it and adjust myself to it. One of those adjustments in having a worldwide medical policy that as it implies covers me worldwide.
That is my adjustment – to be able to leave this medical juridiction and move to another.
Maybe you believe what you wrote and maybe you do not. but you must admit that we have a commitment to excellency and responsibilty that Costa Rica cannot even come close to equalling, and it shouldn´t have to as I am well aware of the difference between the two countries and feel blessed to have the option of living here and being treated outside the country. Where I can return to to help my goverment kill people all around the world! Help American Citizen guilt is deeestroooying me………..
Happiness is a warn gun – Bang bang shoot shoot
– John Lennon, Peace Activist
God Bless the World!
God Bless the Caja for the work they do ad lets all hope that people everywhere in Costa Rica can recieve the care that makes the well or whole again.
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