If I had to describe Spain in one word, inefficient would be one of them. I mean after spending time in three Middle Eastern countries you'd think I was used to inefficiency. But Spain has them beat in my opinion, and the medical system is one of the best examples.
I came back a mess from Malta. I sprained my ankle the first day there, and the last day there a metal screw ripped through my jeans and through my skin leaving a rather large wound on my upper thigh. As if that wasn't bad enough, I also had a fever and my throat was really sore. I called the doctor to make sure he would be able to administer a tetanus shot, and he said yes. So in my fragile medical state I decided to make the trip to the doctor.
This doctor's office (that my program recommends) is rather far from my house so it is quite the trek, and it seems like an ever longer trek with a sprained ankle and a fever. But I made it and the doctor told me I had pharyngitis and wrote me a prescription for that. One down, one to go. Tetanus shot. He said he couldn't give it to me. Umm...no. I literally called half an hour ago, and you said ok. What has since changed?! He told me I had to go to a centro de salud (a health center) and gave me the address. As if I wasn't already far from home, the centro de salud was much farther especially for my sick self, but I found the centro.
I walked in and said that I just came from the doctor who told me to come here for the tetanus shot. They asked me to wait for a moment (which to them means 15 minutes apparently) and then called me back up to the counter to tell me that they couldn't treat me because I didn't live in the neighborhood. I mean really?! It's public health center. How can they refuse treatment? I was so upset that I gave her the meanest face that said every single emotion I was feeling, and I turned and left. I knew that if I opened my mouth I would not be able to control what came out in every language I know.
The next day I called the doctor and told him what happened, and he said he would try to call the pharmacy and see if he could get a tetanus shot. He did. Thanks, I really do appreciate it, but why couldn't this have been done yesterday? My fever was up to 101 degrees and the last thing I wanted to do was walk 40 across town to the doctor's office. I dragged myself out of bed and made the trek to the office. Once I got there I had to go get the prescription at the pharmacy and bring it back for him. When I was back at the office, he prepared the shot and asked where I wanted it. I obviously pointed to my arm when he disapprovingly said that I should get it in my butt. Um, no. Thanks, the arm is good. He proceeded to try to sell the butt shot by telling me that it would hurt less, and that in Spain all shots go in the butt. Well, given the fact that everything that I have experienced with the Spanish medical system was just plain wrong or inefficient, I am going to do as much as I can the "American way." So I told him "In America we always get it in the arm, so I want the shot in my arm". Done. 5 seconds and absolutely no pain later, I walked out of the office and walked home as quickly as I could. I collapsed into bed and tried to sleep off my fever.
As the afternoon passed, my fever only got worse, and I got weaker. I went to my roommate's room to see if she had a thermometer to see how high the temperature actually was, and she got really concerned when she saw me. She walked me down to our other roommate's room who had the thermometer, and they took my temperature which was still 101 degrees. So they told me to lay down and got me a cold cloth with some kind of Spanish cream on it to lower the fever, and within 3 hours my body temperature was back to normal. They cooked me some rice and made me some tea, but my roommate medical students were more helpful than the 3 visits to the doctor!
I came back a mess from Malta. I sprained my ankle the first day there, and the last day there a metal screw ripped through my jeans and through my skin leaving a rather large wound on my upper thigh. As if that wasn't bad enough, I also had a fever and my throat was really sore. I called the doctor to make sure he would be able to administer a tetanus shot, and he said yes. So in my fragile medical state I decided to make the trip to the doctor.
This doctor's office (that my program recommends) is rather far from my house so it is quite the trek, and it seems like an ever longer trek with a sprained ankle and a fever. But I made it and the doctor told me I had pharyngitis and wrote me a prescription for that. One down, one to go. Tetanus shot. He said he couldn't give it to me. Umm...no. I literally called half an hour ago, and you said ok. What has since changed?! He told me I had to go to a centro de salud (a health center) and gave me the address. As if I wasn't already far from home, the centro de salud was much farther especially for my sick self, but I found the centro.
I walked in and said that I just came from the doctor who told me to come here for the tetanus shot. They asked me to wait for a moment (which to them means 15 minutes apparently) and then called me back up to the counter to tell me that they couldn't treat me because I didn't live in the neighborhood. I mean really?! It's public health center. How can they refuse treatment? I was so upset that I gave her the meanest face that said every single emotion I was feeling, and I turned and left. I knew that if I opened my mouth I would not be able to control what came out in every language I know.
The next day I called the doctor and told him what happened, and he said he would try to call the pharmacy and see if he could get a tetanus shot. He did. Thanks, I really do appreciate it, but why couldn't this have been done yesterday? My fever was up to 101 degrees and the last thing I wanted to do was walk 40 across town to the doctor's office. I dragged myself out of bed and made the trek to the office. Once I got there I had to go get the prescription at the pharmacy and bring it back for him. When I was back at the office, he prepared the shot and asked where I wanted it. I obviously pointed to my arm when he disapprovingly said that I should get it in my butt. Um, no. Thanks, the arm is good. He proceeded to try to sell the butt shot by telling me that it would hurt less, and that in Spain all shots go in the butt. Well, given the fact that everything that I have experienced with the Spanish medical system was just plain wrong or inefficient, I am going to do as much as I can the "American way." So I told him "In America we always get it in the arm, so I want the shot in my arm". Done. 5 seconds and absolutely no pain later, I walked out of the office and walked home as quickly as I could. I collapsed into bed and tried to sleep off my fever.
As the afternoon passed, my fever only got worse, and I got weaker. I went to my roommate's room to see if she had a thermometer to see how high the temperature actually was, and she got really concerned when she saw me. She walked me down to our other roommate's room who had the thermometer, and they took my temperature which was still 101 degrees. So they told me to lay down and got me a cold cloth with some kind of Spanish cream on it to lower the fever, and within 3 hours my body temperature was back to normal. They cooked me some rice and made me some tea, but my roommate medical students were more helpful than the 3 visits to the doctor!
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