Dia Tres - Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is very popular in Costa Rica. Through out the day we visited 3 hospitals, 2 private and one public. The private hospitals were extremely nice and the conditions were superior. I didn't feel like I was in a hospital because it was so quiet and the atmosphere was very calming.

Clinica Biblica
The first hospital we visited was a private hospital called Clinica Biblica. It began in 1929 and has a certification from the Joint Certification International. This hospital is no free, but insurance here is good and works with many other country's insurance companies. Prescriptions are also cheaper and are regulated in Costa Rica. Clinica Biblica has different departments such as dentistry, psychology, social work, nutrition, and physical therapy. It was interesting to see a dentistry department in the hospital. I was excited to tell my parents about this hospital because they work in hospitals in the US. All the nurses were RN's and there are 80 rooms in the hospital. As far as sustainability, they recycle materials and they use electronic files for all of their patients.

CIMA

CIMA is a private hospital. I was very impressed with this hospital. Their main goals are Quality, sustainability, and ethics. There are 8 facilities 46000 divisions and 38000 surgeries. CIMA is the first hospital to receive accreditation from the Joint International Commission. They offer great healthcare, medical packages, great customer service and cheaper prices. CIMA seemed like it was run more like a business than a hospital. The lobby was very nice and relaxing and the rooms were very accommodating. These hospitals had many and the similarities to US hospitals but a difference that stuck out to me was how quiet they were. It was calm and the intercom was rarely used.

The Public Hospitals health care in Costa Rica or any type of treatment is free because of their social security system. People must pay for private but the care is better and is still 1/4 cheaper in Costa Rica than in the US. You must be a Costa Rican citizen or have to live in Costa Rica for 3 months to receive free health care in a public clinic. The public hospital Blanco Servantes: Hospital Nacional was pretty much a geriatrics hospital. It was very clean considering it was public and offered many services. The nurses were very nice. A public hospital nurse earns about $2000 a month where as private make about $8000-$10,000. I can't believe all the records were only recorded on paper. With the hospital being public there has to be so many records to keep track of.

I really enjoyed these visits and comparing them to US hospitals. It was a great experience and I am going to persuade my parents to view possible job opportunities there!