Revisiting Spanish Health Care

 I mentioned in an earlier post that I went to the Dr for the first time and it all seemed different but alright? Okay, well now, after more experiences, I would like update that thought.
So last Wednesday night I get a text from Lisa, one of the auxiliars I work with who lives in Alcalá as well, saying her ears really really hurt and she needs to go to the Dr but needs help cause she is really sick. Its 10pm so the Doctor she usually goes to is closed and she doesn't know where to do. I happened to be hanging out with a group of my Spanish friends at the time so I asked them where was an Urgencias or something. Then I realized, they all have public state provided health care and we have private so whatever they normally do won't work for us. I will note, however, that they said they would just go to the hospital after hours for anything they needed. Then me and my friends looked online to try to find some sort of Urgent care or 24 hour health care, what we found were 24 hour veterinarians. Really.  So I abandoned he search with the Españoles and headed over to Lisa's flat.
When I got there I asked her if  she'd done any internet searching to see what services she could find. She had, all she'd found were vets. Okay, well at least we are on the same page...  I flip through our private healthcare book and there is no category for urgent care or 24 hour care. The hours for all doctors are either not listed or not open past 8pm. Then I remember the healthcare facility I went to earlier in the week had a banner on their webpage that said "Cuidamos  a su salud 24 horas al día" or "We care for your heath 24 hours a day". I call them to make sure they are open because frequently hours Spanish businesses say they will be open and they hours they are actually open do not always align. No one answers. This is also not uncommon for Spanish businesses, it is likely there was someone by the phone who just didn't feel like picking it up. I figure I'll walk over there because its like 15 minutes away and see if its open and then call Lisa and have her walk over if it is. I get there, definitely closed. So I guess the "We care for your health 24 hours a day" all over their website was just meant that they care in their hearts and minds, not actually care as in provide care. Well thats kind of sweet but mostly annoying. I call Lisa to discuss our options. Oh yes, we also cannot find a hospital listed anywhere in Alcalá but I know there is one because people talk about it. The only hospitals we could find are in Madrid, so like 60 euro cap ride? is one option OR dressing Lisa up as a dog and taking her to one of the many 24 hour vets. Then I remember seeing an Urgencias sign on my way to the bus stop for work at a public health place. I head there thinking even if they can't treat us they would probably know where we could go.
I get there and explain the situation, we have Mapfre private health care, my friend is really sick, we don't know where to go. The man behind the counter is pensive. He says go ahead and bring her there but don't mention anything to anyone ever about us having Mapfre. Okay! So at lease we have a place to go! I go get lisa, and this place is like far from her house, 30min walking probably. So we make it there and she gets treatment. BUT I realize that if the healthcare man told us to just secretly come there then there is probably no place for us to go after hours. Skkkuuurrrryyy, what if I have a late night emergency? I guess its the vets for me! What I thought was really great health insurance that covers me on practically everything (prosthetics, fertility treatment, every kind of everything) is actually only great if I need treatment between the hours of 8a and 8p, oh wait, except from 2-5p because thats siesta....
Experience #2
So after this late night Doctors extravaganza (I finally got home at 1a) I went to Barcelona. Which was great great great except for the fact I was really sick. Mostly just body aches and excruciating throat pain.  So anyway, I wait till I get back to Alcalá to go to the Dr and I think I probably have strep throat. In the US you definitely get swabbed for strep but here I told him my symptoms he looked at my throat and said yep, its inflamed. You said you had a fever? Me-Yes, yesterday for sure. Can we take my temperature now though? Him- No, there is no thermometer here. Me in my head- What?! No thermometer??? At a Doctor's office? Wheerrreeee ammmmm IIIIIII? Him-- I'm prescribing you antibiotics.   So I got antibiotics but without any sort of a test or any trying to figure out what it actually was, just the fact that I said I had a fever and that my throat looked inflamed.
The next morning when I get out of the shower I notice (well I see blaring at me in the mirror) a red blotchy rash all over my face, neck, and back. So, I go to the Dr. again but this time it is in the morning so its a different doctor. They don't make a chart or record any information on you even if you go to the same facility like I have been doing so I tell her my story. She tells me to stop using soap on my face. But I've used my same face soap for ears and its Cetaphil which is for extra sensitive skin, no perfumes, nothing. Nope, its surely your face soap, don't use soap just wash with water.  Okay, well what about the rash on my back? Thats probably from something else she says and she leaves it at that. She doesn't ask to see my back the only rash exploration is does is look at my face and touch my cheek. She also prescribes me an anti-inflammatory cream for my face. My instructions are, wash with with water, apply lotion and this cream. I leave wanting an American doctor.
The rash continues the whole time I'm taking these antibiotics and has now gone away that I'm off them. Its a relatively common side effect of the antibiotic I was taking which I found out by looking online but what my Doctor didn't know.
Long blog short, if anything happens to me here, I'm coming home for health care. I want my doctor to at least have a thermometer amongst his/her medical equipment.