Never fails, right?
Although I am generally healthy, for some reason I always end up needing to deal with some medical thing within the first couple of months of moving to a new place. In the US, this was a nightmare, because I never had proper insurance. Except for one notable and expensive occasion, luckily the few times I needed to deal with doctors there, I was covered by travel insurance and didn't have to bear the brunt of the costs involved (I don't care if it's a Sunday and you have to go to emergency instead of a clinic: it should never cost $1500 to pee in a cup and get a prescription for antibiotics, m'kay?) I could write a long treatise on the various and sundry issues I had while wading through the insanity of insurance and treatment in the US, but I'll spare you. Suffice to say, my personal experiences were all various levels of frustration and headache and leaving that behind was a huge relief.
I've been dealing with a back pain issue for a long time (or not dealing with it. See above re: insufficient US insurance) and since moving here, it's been bothering me more than usual. So yesterday I got my first taste of Abu Dhabi's healthcare system.
I have never experienced a trip to any clinic more effortless and streamlined. I had an appointment for 10am. I arrived early, checked in, and was called for my appointment at 10am exactly. 10AM EXACTLY! After an initial consult, it being my first visit, I was then sent to the doctor and given a thorough exam. From there, I went immediately to radiology (conveniently located upstairs in the same building), and had some x-rays taken.
I was in and out by 11. X-rays and all. I know you can't see the baffled look of surprise on my face, but trust me: it's there.
No one wants to get sick, but I think, if you have to, this might be an okay place to do it.
Although I am generally healthy, for some reason I always end up needing to deal with some medical thing within the first couple of months of moving to a new place. In the US, this was a nightmare, because I never had proper insurance. Except for one notable and expensive occasion, luckily the few times I needed to deal with doctors there, I was covered by travel insurance and didn't have to bear the brunt of the costs involved (I don't care if it's a Sunday and you have to go to emergency instead of a clinic: it should never cost $1500 to pee in a cup and get a prescription for antibiotics, m'kay?) I could write a long treatise on the various and sundry issues I had while wading through the insanity of insurance and treatment in the US, but I'll spare you. Suffice to say, my personal experiences were all various levels of frustration and headache and leaving that behind was a huge relief.
I've been dealing with a back pain issue for a long time (or not dealing with it. See above re: insufficient US insurance) and since moving here, it's been bothering me more than usual. So yesterday I got my first taste of Abu Dhabi's healthcare system.
I have never experienced a trip to any clinic more effortless and streamlined. I had an appointment for 10am. I arrived early, checked in, and was called for my appointment at 10am exactly. 10AM EXACTLY! After an initial consult, it being my first visit, I was then sent to the doctor and given a thorough exam. From there, I went immediately to radiology (conveniently located upstairs in the same building), and had some x-rays taken.
I was in and out by 11. X-rays and all. I know you can't see the baffled look of surprise on my face, but trust me: it's there.
No one wants to get sick, but I think, if you have to, this might be an okay place to do it.
Looks like you're keeping your routine of testing the health care system in new places as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure that experience wasn't a dream? It sounds too good to be true...
I remember at NYU a scheduled visit would involve at least half an hour of waiting after the start of the appointment. And if more than one doctor or even x-rays where involved you could easily spend 3 hours there. And let me mention that they had everything in the same building too.