To secure an appointment:
à
Grab a bus or taxi before sunrise.
à
Arrive from 530 am – 6 am.
à
Wait in line, hope there is no unexpected strike (more on this soon)
à
At 8 am, workers arrive and begin assigning appointments. About 8 appointments/ doctor for their 2 hour
shift. The early bird...
àPay
15 Bs ($2) for the appointment.
à
Wait for appointment, often seen around 9-11 am.
Note this is for the largest public hospital in
Santa Cruz where we work. Nonetheless, this system
applies throughout the city, including private hospitals. I’ve heard horror stories of some of the
specialties like cancer clinics, where patients have been heard to camp in line
overnight!
Needless to say, when we try and capture
patients after their clinic appointments, the last thing they want to do is stay longer. And still they will often sit through our study. Whether it be for us, the advancement of
research, or the free electrocardiogram- in any case we are grateful for their
patience!
*This may seem like a crazy system, but just think that everyone has an equal opportunity of same-day care. Not something that can be said of most clinics in the US, where it may take months for a simple appointment
*This may seem like a crazy system, but just think that everyone has an equal opportunity of same-day care. Not something that can be said of most clinics in the US, where it may take months for a simple appointment
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