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ARTICLE | REAL ESTATE

Dra. Andrea Messeguer, directora Medica de Beach Side Clinic

ARE YOU PREPARED WHEN TRAVELING FOR A MEDICAL EMERGENCY? When we travel, we usually consider details, such as where to stay, which airline, the time of the year to determine clothing needed, etc. However, what we are going to do in case a medical emergency arises is not on the list. Most people do not think about it or if they do, they think they can deal with it if it happens. Very few people travel prepared, but for these the surprise factor is controllable and resolved in a better way.

S o, what happens when we travel to another country and we are not prepared to face an emergency? A medical situation, which often does not threaten life, but can mean a high mon- etary cost, becomes a family emergency, where you not only have to see how to solve the medical part, but also the eco- nomic part that can become unmanage- able. This scenario is presented more times than I would like to tell. As a doctor in a touristy area of great growth, I have wit- nessed and interacted more than once with patients in this situation. They come to our country for a visit or to live looking for other life experiences; and surpris- 80 COSTA RICA REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

ingly while enjoying their new destination they have an accident, present a medical emergency, and are not prepared. I clear- ly remember the case of a patient who while enjoying time on the beach, suffered a fall and ended up with a very compli- cated fracture. We received the call and reached the site, treated the patient on the scene properly, preparing him to be transferred by ambulance to our central clinic. Once in the clinic, after performing diagnostic and confirmatory exams, we determined the need for surgery to repair the fracture. A procedure that cannot be performed in our medical center, requir- ing a transfer to a high-resolution trauma center quickly because of the type of in-

jury and its possible complications. Be- ing in an area more than 4 hours by land from the specialized center, the medical recommendation was an air transfer to the corresponding medical center in or- der to timely manage the medical condi- tion and reduce the risk of complications. It is at this time that I am explaining to the patient and his relatives what is happen- ing and how it should be resolved, when they tell me that the patient does not have medical insurance of any kind, nor does he have the money available to deal with the medical expenses and due to time dif- ferences between our country and theirs, they cannot contact the bank to access more funds than those they carry.

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