# Emergency treatment



## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

I would like to know what I or whoever takes ill during the night or even during the day. We do have our health card and are signed onto our local clinic, but that works on asking for an appointment, which is fine for normal situations. I am assuming that one goes straight to the nearest hospital, but would appreciate clarification.
Cheers to all..


----------



## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

Same as in the UK.

If you are in need of immediate treatment outside doctor's hours you go to the emergency department at the hospital. If you do not have transport and it is an emergency then call an ambulance.


----------



## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Justina said:


> I would like to know what I or whoever takes ill during the night or even during the day. We do have our health card and are signed onto our local clinic, but that works on asking for an appointment, which is fine for normal situations. I am assuming that one goes straight to the nearest hospital, but would appreciate clarification.
> Cheers to all..


Find your "Ambulatorio de urgencias". 

Ours isn't in the local hospital, but rather at the regional health center.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

elenetxu said:


> Find your "Ambulatorio de urgencias".
> 
> Ours isn't in the local hospital, but rather at the regional health center.


yes, we have an _ambulatorio _in the town - they are open 24/7 & even if you call an ambulance they will very often take you there first 

they might deal with you there, or get you stable enough for the 20 minute trip to the transfer to hospital


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

As we live in the campo, ambulances etc. will NOT come out to us. 

We have to find someone to go our local centre and then have it follow us back to our house.


----------



## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

Having read your responses I am so glad we live where we do. I didn't realise that not everywhere had the same system as us.

I have twice had to go by ambulance to the hospital. In such circumstances I would prefer to go to A&E where they have all the specialist equipment than to a health centre.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

DunWorkin said:


> Having read your responses I am so glad we live where we do. I didn't realise that not everywhere had the same system as us.
> 
> I have twice had to go by ambulance to the hospital. In such circumstances I would prefer to go to A&E where they have all the specialist equipment than to a health centre.


they have a lot of specialist equipment at our _ambulatorio_

the paramedics would take you directly to the hospital if it were clear that it couldn't be dealt with at the _ambulatorio_


----------



## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

Thank you to all for your really helpful posts.


----------



## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> they have a lot of specialist equipment at our _ambulatorio_
> 
> the paramedics would take you directly to the hospital if it were clear that it couldn't be dealt with at the _ambulatorio_


Not the equipment (or staff) they have at San Juan hospital. Having been in this situation twice I want to go to the hospital not rely on the paramedics to decide.

What about snikpoh's comment that an ambulance will not go to them and that they would have to find someone to go to local centre. I could not live somewhere like that. We do not have a car and at lots of times of the year we have no neighbours. What do we do then?


----------



## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

DunWorkin said:


> Not the equipment (or staff) they have at San Juan hospital. Having been in this situation twice I want to go to the hospital not rely on the paramedics to decide.
> 
> What about snikpoh's comment that an ambulance will not go to them and that they would have to find someone to go to local centre. I could not live somewhere like that. We do not have a car and at lots of times of the year we have no neighbours. What do we do then?


I should imagine, that if you live in the campo here, or the middle of 'nowhere' even in the UK, an ambulance would have difficulty finding the house. Even if the ambulance had sat nav it could loose its signal in the middle of the campo. Someone would have to go to the nearest 'meeting point' to guide the ambulance, taking valuable minutes of saving a life.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Out of hours at our village health centre, there is a Dr, a Nurse, a Driver and an ambulance just waiting for you. If you need more urgent attention thnt can be given by first stabilising you then rushing you to the main provincial hospital (40 mins by road) we have a helipad for you to go by 'medevac'. What more can you ask for?


----------



## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

Baldi, you really seem to have hit gold with your village.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Justina said:


> Baldi, you really seem to have hit gold with your village.


It comes from proper planning. It irks me no end, the number of people who decide to move to another country with little or no research then expect those of us who did go to the trouble of sorting out all the ins and outs of moving, to do all their legwork for them.


----------



## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

The health center (ambulatorio) in my town is open 24/7 for urgent care that can't wait until normal clinic hours. But we have a hospital literally 5 minutes away and that's the place to go in case of a true emergency. AFAIK the ambulances (which leave from the health center) always take people to the hospital. But maybe not - I've just never seen an ambulance pull into the health center with a patient. Our health center also always has a doctor on call to do house calls for patients who can't get out.


----------



## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

Well Baldilocks, I 'planned' for two years apart from two short trips during those years and I was on the internet for hours each day checking out the various provinces and dismissing some of them for various reasons and at the end of the day I still had a lot to ask and in a sense I still am. 
I am jolly grateful that you and several others are willing to sit down and give us some of that info you collected over the years. 
While I am happy where I am I still feel that perhaps the grass is greener,,,,,,, so am still open to changing so that is why I check out the comments here, cos I am a bit long in the tooth to throw a bag over my shoulder and go hunting.
Cheers.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Justina said:


> Well Baldilocks, I 'planned' for two years apart from two short trips during those years and I was on the internet for hours each day checking out the various provinces and dismissing some of them for various reasons and at the end of the day I still had a lot to ask and in a sense I still am.
> I am jolly grateful that you and several others are willing to sit down and give us some of that info you collected over the years.
> While I am happy where I am I still feel that perhaps the grass is greener,,,,,,, so am still open to changing so that is why I check out the comments here, cos I am a bit long in the tooth to throw a bag over my shoulder and go hunting.
> Cheers.


I'm almost 73!


----------

