Expatriates need working knowledge of the health insurance system and the hospitals in the host city and country, just as
they have for their own home country and city. As a Physician in Germany explains:
"The health care system in the host country is absolutely mandatory to know in its basic organization." Ophthalmologist, Munich, Germany.
Here are the key issues:
Hospitals
- What hospitals are preferred, for routine care and for trauma or emergencies (the answer may be different for each)?
- Are both private and public hospitals available and, if so, what's the difference in quality of care and the availability of services. In the words of a physician in Brussels, "Private and public do not mean good and bad."
Emergency Access
- What are the emergency telephone numbers to obtain ambulance, fire and other assistance such as poison control.
- Can these numbers can be relied upon:
"Emergency numbers do exist in Sao Paulo, but, except for the Fire Department, you should not count too much on them in moments of need..." General Surgeon, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
- Can ambulances and other emergency personnel be trusted? In some parts of the world it's faster and more reliable to take a cab to the hospital than an ambulance.
Pharmacy Basics
Eventually everyone on overseas assignment requires a headache remedy, decongestant or sunscreen, so basic knowledge about pharmacies is necessary. Key issues:
- Hours of operation (and how to find one open late). 24 hour a day pharmacies exist very infrequently outside the U.S.
- The reliability of their products
- The trustworthiness of their personnel.
A physician Brazil explained why this last point is so important:
"In a 'Farmacia' there are normally a handful of persons who...are totally unqualified to give you any health-related advice and who...feel absolutely free to suggest that you buy medicines different from those prescribed by your physician (because on some medicines they have a wider profit margin)." General Surgeon, Sao Paulo.
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