Costa Rica Healthcare – New hospital in Dominical area.

You can always tell if someone is serious about considering Costa Rica for retirement or a second home. They move from the confusion of thinking we’re and island (Puerto Rica perhaps) to asking about the things that concern them.

The pharmaceutical firms keep reminding us that every possible discomfort has a medical cure so it comes as no surprise that a key interest for those seriously considering Costa Rica is medical services.

As a senior baby boomer, I count myself among those of us who are fortunate and find ourselves in good health. Waistlines publicize those among us who ate too many meals in fast food restaurants or perhaps cooked too many calorie-laden meals. However, more of us are exercising and at least conscious of the ill effects our choices can make.

The health care scorecard is good and continually getting better. For years people have come to Costa Rica from the U.S. for favorable costs and dental care has been a key attraction.

My first neighbor who had to stay overnight in a hospital received magnificent care and attention and raved about the modern equipment. The hospital even expected his wife to stay overnight in the hospital with him and made provisions for her comfort by arranging a bed for her in his room. I don’t know of a single comparable experience in the U.S., even for parents with young children.

Another neighbor with full coverage in the U.S. chose to undergo major surgery here. I’ve known of successful cancer, cataract and numerous cosmetic surgeries. A friend who was visiting fell and had a serious gash in her head. We took her to the hospital and she received care and stitches within an hour.

I can’t imagine such rapid service for that type of need in the emergency rooms of the U.S. Imagine the complications for persons visiting the U.S. without recognized insurance coverage. It would take more than an hour to ensure you could pay for the service.

I’ve not had to spend a night in the hospitals of Costa Rica but I have found it refreshing to see the starched white uniforms and caps worn by nurses along the hospital corridors. Many physicians here have been trained in the U.S. and a significant number speak English.

These serve only as anecdotes but turning to facts… The new hospital is more than twice the size of the old hospital.

Services provided by specialists include cardiologists, neurologists and oncologists. The hospital will have emergency and operating rooms, a laboratory, drugstore and nutrition among its varied services. While few among my boomer peers will require it, there will be a delivery room and obstetric staff that I almost forgot to mention.

Hospital CIMA in San Jose is considered the best private hospital in Central America. The intensive care unit uses the state of the art monitoring and ventilation equipment plus circulatory, respiratory and renal support systems operated around the clock by experienced personnel. The coronary care unit is a great source of pride for the hospital offering electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, holter and stress tests.

The best news of all however is that the pura vida lifestyle, surrounding yourself with the jungles and beaches of the southern Pacific coast, will undoubtedly improve your health. Should the necessity of health care rear it’s head be assured you can receive excellent care.

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Written by Enaid Savage who is a professional Realtor in Costa Rica.

If you would like to arrange to see real estate for sale in the Dominical, South Pacific, then please help us to help you by giving us your your email address and answer the three little questions in the form below:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.