Exploring Healthcare in Ecuador
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Ever wonder what healthcare is like in a third world county such as Ecuador? Wait Ecuador is not a third world county but a rapidly developing country. I know that in the US I cannot receive my lab results on the same day or worst case scenario the next day as I can in Ecuador. In fact, after my May 2018 visit to my Texas doctor, it took 2 months for me to receive notification of my lab results. Yes, healthcare in the US is changing. For example, In the US you take a prescription from your doctor to fill at your local pharmacy. In Ecuador for most medications, you do not need a prescription. If you are not feeling well a quick trip to the pharmacist who will give you the proper medication. Our pharmacist speaks English and is very helpful.
Okay, I am a retired Registered Nurse with 29+ years of experience at a large hospital in Fort Worth, Texas so yes, being a little critical when it comes to patient care. My husband recently had an emergency related to high blood pressure while in Cotacachi. It was very early on a Sunday morning and we immediately called our favorite taxi driver. In Ecuador, it is all about building relationships. Our taxi driver Freddy dropped everything and came rushing over since I did not want Billy Boy to drive. The small local Cotacachi Hospital is about 3 minutes away. So think of this little hospital like a “Care Now” in the States. Thanks to Freddy who interprets for us Bill was triage within 10 minutes upon arrival. He had an EKG and monitored for several hours until his BP was lower. Billy Boy was advised to see a cardiologist for a follow-up. Yikes, I forgot to add there was no charge for the hospital visit.
The next day we already had an appointment with a private family doctor which was something we needed to do since we have been here. During the visit the doctor examined Bill reviewed his US Medical Records and advised that while is BP was normal now he should not wait to see his cardiologist. So walking home one of our friends from La Mirage Garden Hotel and Spa offered us a ride home. Upon learning about Bill’s hospital visit he immediately made an appointment with a respected cardiologist in Ibarra for that same afternoon. Just remember what I said about building relationships. The Ibarra cardiologist conducted another EKG and administered a monitored 24 hours blood pressure test. We returned the next day for the results and received a printout. He advised a change in medication.
My husband decided he wanted to follow-up with his regular cardiologist in Quito at the medical office at Metropolitano. So that evening he emailed his cardiologist directly along with the results of his BP monitoring and received an appointment the next morning. Yes, he corresponded directly with the doctor! Wonder how long it would have taken to get an appointment with a cardiologist in Texas? Our friends decided to drive us to Quito to see the doctor since they did not think it was safe for Bill to drive. How many times in this blog will I mention building relationships?
The cardiologist that Bill had previously seen is the department head of cardiology at Metropolitano in Quito which is a state of the art hospital equal if not better than hospitals in the US. Plus the doctor speaks excellent English. He did some medical training in the US.
I have a friend in Cotacachi that recently had a severe heart attack and admitted to the hospital in Ibarra. Friends called us to find out the name of the cardiologist that Bill had seen in Quito. Is this starting to sound familiar relationship building? The local hospital contacted the Quito cardiologist and she was immediately transferred by ambulance to the Metropolitano Hospital. Upon arrival at the hospital, the doctor and the medical team was waiting in the parking lot as the ambulance arrived. She was in critical condition and received state of the art life-saving emergency surgery. The cardiologist assigned doctors to stay with her 24-7 until she released. One of the doctor’s commented to her that when she was allowed to return home he could also get to go to his home. She states that if she had been in the US she would have died simply because of the time it would have taken for her to receive the same type of care as in Quito.
The Hospital Metropolitano is one of the most complete and modern hospital medical complexes in Ecuador. The hospital has highly trained medical personnel, an infrastructure with international standards and the most advanced technology. Plus the only hospital in Ecuador with an international accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI), the agency that accredits and establishes the highest standards of quality in the health care system (JCAHO) in the United States, which guarantees its implementation in direct patient care. So as a Registered Nurse to me this is a really big deal!
You must understand that we do have great medical doctors and personnel in the US but I think their hands are frequently tied by the hospital, state, federal regulation concerning health care. When I was working as a nurse the hospital used a Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) which was a formal report that measures the patient’s experience regarding hospital care. So the hospitals received a database of results that they compared with similar facilities. Think of it as a report card. Sounds good right? In today’s healthcare world everything is about gaining market share, reputation, and reimbursement. Yes, follow the money. Time indeed is about money and the physicians seem driven to see a quota of patients in a prescribed timeline. Every wonder why the number of Family Practitioners are decreasing? Could it possibly be related to physician job satisfaction? So I must ask myself are doctors treated like robots with patient quotas they to meet along with time restraints to care for each patient? Again my opinion Medicare patients are really charity patients and the doctors and healthcare facilities lose money. Our doctor in Texas sees only one Medicare patient a day for an annual physical. Basically, that means that my husband and I have to go on different days. It is a blessing that some doctors will even take Medicare patients since they are losing money but they are becoming fewer and farther between. These are the doctors that are heroes without capes.
So what are the costs for healthcare in Ecuador? We recently changed from a private company to the government health insurance which we plan to use only as emergency care. We found that the private insurance at our age was way too expensive and everything relates to a pre-existing condition that was not covered for 2 years. Otherwise, we just elect to pay out of our pocket. A general practitioner doctor visit is between $10-$15. The cardiologist visit was $60 and the EKG done by the cardiologist was $30. A CAT Scan cost $400.
Turns out we live a much healthier life in Ecuador and have a built-in exercise routine of 2 miles a day simply by walking into town and back each day. The fresh fruits and vegetables are in abundance and add a health bonus. You can attend yoga classes, qigong, Zumba, meditation and join a gym at very reasonable prices. I am also a retired Registered Massage Therapist and know the health benefits of massage. You can receive a basic massage for $30 or have a day of luxury massage at La Mirage Garden Spa for less than you would pay in the US. La Mirage is my favorite place to relax with a special massage such as hot stone, grape, clay, chocolate, or facial to just name a few. Then you have time to recovery in the meditation room from your trance-like state followed by a dip in the heated Olympic size swimming pool and a soak in the whirlpool spa. You enter a fragrant lush botanical garden while watching the hummingbirds dart around and the peacocks spreading their wings in a symbolic courting dance. There is no time restraint and you can stay as long as you like. We frequently have a “girl’s day” with a nice lunch.
So in summary in Ecuador, you can sooth the mind, body, and spirit. Sometimes I feel like life gave me a promotion after leaving the stress of a healthcare job for so long!
Thank you for taking the time and interest to read my blog which is now going on year five.
