We went to the doctor today. Now of course that's nothing new. In fact, it's something we do way more often that I'd like. But today was different. This was our initial consultation with our new primary care physician. And to understand just how different the medical system works in Costa Rica, one needs to start at the beginning of the story.
First, I have to point out that we are enrolled in Caja, Costa Rica's national healthcare system. So we could have chosen to go to our local clinic for free. That would have taken pretty much the entire day and would have required getting in line at 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. But many people, gringos and Ticos alike, choose to use a private doctor or clinic for routine matters and reserve the inconvenience of Caja for expensive treatments. Thus, our highly anticipated introductory visit with this particular, highly recommended doctor.
One of those recommendations had come over the kitchen table when we were visiting with one of our new English-speaking neighbors, who was born and raised in Palmares. The good doctor was a personal friend and was currently treating her gringo boyfriend, as a matter of fact. I mentioned that another Tico friend of ours had recommended the same doctor as well and that we planned to visit him soon. The next thing I knew, even though it was Saturday afternoon, we were soon talking with the doctor by telephone after a brief introduction from our neighbor.
When I explained that we simply needed some routine bloodwork done to monitor ongoing treatments, he offered to see us at his office at noon on Monday.
Okay... so that felt different. None of the usual checking of the schedule or talking to the scheduler or waiting for a week (or more). Simply, be there on Monday.
Well, as it turned out we arrived a wee bit early. Our plan was to allow ourselves extra time to locate his office (didn't want to be late, for goodness sake!) and then do a little shopping to kill time until our appointment. However, we found ourselves once again being escorted to our destination -- this time by a woman who insisted on staying with us until we made contact with the doctor. So much for that plan.
When we met the doctor we apologized for being early and tried to excuse ourselves util the appointed time. He would have none of it and insisted that we come in and get started right now. This was at 10:45 a.m. We left his office at 12:00 noon.
In the interim we chatted casually with him about how we came to be in Costa Rica, what our plans are, where he was from (Tanzania, though his grandparents were from India), how he came to be practicing medicine in Costa Rica (30 years ago and after practicing in the U.S. for a while) where we had visited while in the country (mostly the Central Valley and Quepos area), where he likes to go (San Carlos - and, by the way, would we like to go there with him some Sunday?), world affairs, politics (yes, we both like Obama), and how great life is in Costa Rica where things are not so frantic as they are in Norte Americana.
Eventually, we got around to medical histories, blood pressure taking and such (and, of course, the the writing of lab orders for the necessary test that had brought us to his office). And when we parted company more than an hour later, we felt confident that our new doctor understood not just the numbers and labels that define our medical conditions, but us -- that politics and current events are hot buttons (and stress triggers) for mi esposo and that I'm more of an it is what it is sort -- traits that readily demonstrate themselves in our blood pressure readings.
On the way out, he promised to call us sometime for that trip to San Carlos and told us to call him if we need anything ("You've got one more friend here now," he added.) Then we stopped at the front desk and paid our 40,000 colones ($80) for the doctor's time.
Oh yes, and about those blood tests... We'll have them done at the local laboratory tomorrow morning and pick up the results the same afternoon. Then we'll give the doctor a call to make an appointment for a follow up consultation -- for which there will be no additional charge.
How refreshing it is to see medicine practiced for the joy and satisfaction of helping people without the pressures imposed by "the system" on our doctors back home.
By the way... the Hypocratic Oath hung front and center on the wall behind his desk. It's been a while since I've seen that.
Pura Vida
