Hospital

And connecting all this "progress" will still be a little dinky, potholed, toped, 2 lane road!!!

Dont forget the bike lane.

I believe I recognize two Doctors in the pictures shown above. One is Dr. Garcia from the Maskaras Clinic and another from Guadalajara who comes to the Maskaras Clinic on Fridays. He is an orthopedic surgeon, however I forget his name.

When I'm authorized to share news I will.

Let's just say that imagine what can be done on with 30,000 m2 of construction?
And let's just say whatever they are not equipped to handle, this project will be. Definitely.


STAY TUNED.

Trailrunner wrote:And connecting all this "progress" will still be a little dinky, potholed, toped, 2 lane road!!!

If there was ever an emergency here, like an earthquake, be prepared to hunker down in place.  There will be no getting out of this immediate area.  One major road east/west and two major roads north/south, if you can get to them on the "dinky" east/west road. Having a new hospital right on the carretera, along with CR and the hospital in Joco, not being able to get anywhere on the carretera for medical help is somewhat mitigated.

MexicoPete wrote:I believe I recognize two Doctors in the pictures shown above. One is Dr. Garcia from the Maskaras Clinic and another from Guadalajara who comes to the Maskaras Clinic on Fridays. He is an orthopedic surgeon, however I forget his name.

Dr. Gonzalez, Ortho and Dr. Garcia Garcia, cardiologist, an anesthesiaoligist, Dr. Carlos Garcia. . .

$$$$$.

Have had two opportunities to visit Jojotepec Seguro Popular Community Hospital. They are having no problems keeping up with surgeries and the wards are nearly always almost empty. The majority of clients seem to be local (Jocotepec area) elderly who have fallen or sick children. They just need to see a doctor, get some pills, and they are on their way. Can't see the demand for an expensive, pay as you go hospital here, and if you do need one, you would be better off going to an upper tier hospital in Guadalajara. Unless it is Seguro Popular you gotta pay big though - a litre of private blood, your type of course, plasma enriched - $14,000 pesos per bag.

PS. the people who work at the Jocotepec hospital seem like a happy bunch - good, secure job, in a small town - why not?

Does the Jocotepec Hospital have an MRI unit?

Chillin your observations of the SP hospital in Chante are the same as mine. The staff all seem happy and not stressed or too busy. I think it's a great addition to our community.

There is plenty of room for higher level services here at the lake for those who are insured or can pay out of pocket for them. Bring 'em on!

Good to have options.
Trailrunner.slightly off topic bit i remember you once mentioned the bombetos had an ambulance for emetgencies

How does one contact them say in the middle of the night?
Is it available 24/7

Re ss hospital joco. Can you just turn up to see a doc for a general non urgent problem?
Thanks

I still have a lot of gaps in my knowledge. I know they have very capable paramedic I have met him a couple of times. He is a friend of a friend. They do have ambulances at the hospital, up to and including a helicopter in Guadalajara (there is a heliport at the Hospital).

I am pretty sure you can show up for a general, non urgent problem, and you will be triaged - in other words you could wait a long time if there are priority emergencies. What you are supposed to do is to form a relationship at your local clinic, with a general doctor, who keeps the files and progress report as to your health goals (weird huh?). My nearest is Chapala Seguro Popular clinic in Ajijic. I see Dr. Anna, she speaks good English. She is also a specialist in palliative care. To see her, I know she always works Tuesdays, but it is also a busy day for her (something about a "baby count" - whatever that is). You have to go to the clinic at 7:30 AM. There will be a lot of people there, but there are many doctors, and Mexican people like to share their families medical experiences (which I find charming). The experiences will probably fuel family discussions for many years to come! When the door opens on the furthest left of the waiting room, a line will form to see Dr. Anna. They will be getting appointment times for later in the day, it moves very quickly. She is a very nice lady, a natural born healer.
The only downsides so far, is that if you need prescriptions, you have to go to another building in Chapala. The second, I may have wrong, but if you need a blood test they are only done on Monday mornings. Again a lineup, chance to practise Spanish and the almost lost art of patience. People are generally very polite and gracious, not like in Canada, as I remember, many trying to pull the "do you know who I am am" "Mr important on their cellphones" type crap.
No MRI - they would send you into Guadalajara for that - but again, I am not clear if they give you a ride or if you are on your own. If Seguro Popular sends you to a private contractor, I guarantee the price will be on quarter of what you would normally pay.

Still anything medical, there is a chance of surprises. A Hemotologist wants to get my blood platelet count up for hernia surgery. No problem, we have a medicine for that-  $12,200 pesos for one month supply.

The reason that I would like to see an MRI unit here at Lakeside is because of the small "6 hour window" after a stroke before damage is done permanently. You need to get an MRI done within that time frame to determine whether the stroke is caused by a bleed or a clot. If it's a clot then the "clot busting medicine" can be administered to limit the damage.
Another plus is an ambulance that will take you to the Hospital of your choice.
And, Medical Tourism comes into play as well... have a friend in Canada waiting for a non urgent MRI and will be on the waiting list for THREE MONTHS.

hickton wrote:Good to have options.
Trailrunner.slightly off topic bit i remember you once mentioned the bombetos had an ambulance for emetgencies

How does one contact them say in the middle of the night?
Is it available 24/7

Re ss hospital joco. Can you just turn up to see a doc for a general non urgent problem?
Thanks

All good questions, hickton, and some of them I want confirmation on too. I see their ambulance on scenes of crashes frequently and I've seen them transport the patients, but they may only be second-in to Cruz Roja. I do not fully understand the system anymore. Most of the old-time (experienced) medics from CR have left, some are at the fire department and a couple are working on the ambulance. My plan, if I need it, is to call the bomberos for their ambulance. Or, call a friend.

Some time ago I was up talking to the bomberos, chief included, and they all said enthusiastically that I could call them for their ambulance anytime I needed it. Call the fire department number - I have 766 3515/766 5252. Yes, 24/7. Yes, they will take you to wherever you want including SP in El Chante. BUT, it's Mexico and all that may have changed. heh

Far as I know, to see a doc at the hospital for routine, non-emergent appt you must first go to your local Centro de Salud. If you show up in the ER at the hospital, they may take you or you may get triaged out or at least down depending on the nature of your complaint.

Also, don't rule out the new Clinica Municipal Chapala for non-urgent doc appts I have used my SP there for that, Spanish only. I know one doctor and two nurses there and they are old-time, experienced CR workers. I've had all good experiences there. In terms of Urgencias, one of the nurses told me: If there's blood go to Cruz Roja (they are very good at trauma), if no blood go to Chapala clinic.

Good information folks.
I will take a trip up to bomberos as well for upto date info and post it.

Trailrunner wrote:
Dr. Gonzalez, Ortho and Dr. Garcia Garcia, cardiologist, an anesthesiaoligist, Dr. Carlos Garcia. . .

Are you saying Dr. Carlos Garcia is an anesthesiologist or there will be one?  Dr. Carlos Garcia is an internist, specialty internal medicine.

No, not Carlos. One of the other docs is an anesthesiologist.
You're right, that was poorly worded.

Anesthesiologist - rule the medical world. Top paying "job" in the U.S.A. right now -$269,000 U.S. per year. He is the one who wants my platelet count up - the surgeon is O.K. with my numbers.

How will you get your platelets up?

Well I know all the natural ways. But the Specialist Hemotologist from Quality Care recommended a European made medicine, fairly new (2012) which works very reliably and quickly. That was the one that is $12,218 pesos for one month. The Anesthesiologist thought that the epidermal could possibly bleed out, into my spine, then I would be paralysed. OK Doc - I have already had this seven years, a couple more weeks won't matter. Medical costs are getting ridiculously high everywhere.

What does the machine do, exactly? You'd need it for a month?!? Are you on blood thinners?

 It's true that if you bled into your vertebral spaces it would apply pressure against the cord which would cause some paralysis.

No machine, just a pill, Revolade, twice a day.

I looked up the price of Revolade in USD and 25 mg. tablets # 28 tablets was from $2,017 to $2,263 dollars.
The 50 mg. tablets, # 28 tablets were from $4,295 to $4,663 dollars.
I guess 12,218 pesos may be a bargain.

Sorry, I misread medicine for machine.

CHILLIN wrote:Anesthesiologist - rule the medical world. Top paying "job" in the U.S.A. right now -$269,000 U.S. per year. He is the one who wants my platelet count up - the surgeon is O.K. with my numbers.

I wish I could loan you some of my platelets as I am being treated for Thrombocythemia (high platelet count), and have to take a fairly expensive medicine called Hydrea, imported from Italy, to keep it under control.  I can get it down into the 600's but can't seem to reach the ideal top of the range, which is 400 to 450. At one time, before having a bone marrow biopsy and diagnosed with the condition, it was near 1300.
My hematologist is Dr. Velazquez Ferrari, who offices across the street from Hospital del Carmen.

Normal platelet count is 150,000 to 450,000 per cubic mm. Used to have a friend whose count was 45,000 and after everyone panicked, she went back to living her very "normal for her" life.
So, what's yours Chillin'? Also curious as to why you're being given an epidural for a hernia operation?
You don't have to answer... just putting questions out there that you may like to ask your Surgeon for the answers.