BELIZE MEDICAL SERVICE IN BELIZE, COMPARED TO MIAMI, USA

E-MAIL ON COMPARATIVE COSTS FOR US RETIREES IN WESTERN BELIZE - VERSUS COSTS IN METROPOLITAN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, USA



Charlie ( Washington, D.C. )

Was seriously considering moving to TEXAS to operate the trading due to slow dial up internet speed here. The only problem with that was, we couldn't afford the USA health system.
For example the wife was running a fever yesterday and had recurring kidney pains again. So off we went to try out the new San Ignacio Poly Clinic out on the Bullet Tree Road here in Western Belize, Central America. Feels like about 2 miles from San Ignacio past the police check point. We live across the river in Hillview, in Green Parrot Valley, a suburb of Santa Elena Town. Rural style living.
The location of the new Poly Clinic is superb on a hill and all around are hills and valleys with lovely views. The new building isn't bad either. It took us seven hours to get through service, diagnosis and treatment. But she got a blood test which was okay, a urine test which showed she had an infection and then got two antibiotics and some Tylenol. At first we had to line up in the ordinary hospital/poly clinic reception area. That took a long time as everybody had quit for lunch. En masse. No service and it seemed somewhat disorganized and chaotic. The reception area lacked a TAKE A NUMBER, or priority system. Lots of women with children problems. Finally after a few hours, saw the doctor and she was referred to the emergency room. Got antibiotic by intra venous for a couple of hours as she is allergic to some of them. The new emergency room has 4 beds and 2 children beds, state of the art equipped. IMPRESSIVE! I saw a sign that said there was a TRAUMA room. The CUBAN staff, doctor and nurse were EXCELLENT. Professional and good bed side manner.
Anyway, after seven hours and everything she needed done, it was all FREE ! Including medication from the hospital pharmacy. At a local private doctor and clinic and tests, in the center of the Twin Towns here, the whole shebang would have run about $200 Bz. ( $2 Bz to $1 usa ) and taken about 2 1/2 hours in and out. This in downtown TWIN TOWNS. So for the price of 7 hours at the government public hospital poly clinic, the savings was good and the service was very good. Next time I'll take a book to read though.
The same treatment ( kidney infections are recurrent with my wife ) in Miami-Dade metropolitan area in Florida used to take 3 weeks. With a lot of car travelling, traffic, waiting room time and seeing the family doctor, being referred to a clinic for tests and then a specialist doctor with more tests and then back to the family doctor again. The pain would escalate and make those 3 weeks seem like hell! With insurance or medicare, the cost ran around $4000 usa. You still had to pay co-payments as well. I'll take the medical service in Belize, Central America, over that in the USA anytime.
------------ As an aside Charlie, it is true we closed the three story, Falconview Backpackers Adventure Hostel. We have 18 beds, five bathrooms, two furnished apartments for rent, two dormitories and a back yard with two nurseries for growing our own vegetables and flowers. Not counting our internal central private residence of two bedrooms, bath and kitchenette of 400 sq. ft in the center of the Hostel. Nor the warehouse and two store rooms and laundry area. Lots of fruit trees, breadfruit, coconuts, oranges, plenty of papaya. We eat well! All in a 75 ft x 100 ft lot. Very quiet around here. We have the place for sale for $328,000 usa on the internet and will move to a duplex we built on a ridge a block away, which is one floor as we are getting too old, to be climbing stairs.
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