IMSS Insurance vs Private Health Care in Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Mexico
IMSS vs Private Health Care
We recently know of a medical experience we would like to share with our readers.
A young woman went to a doctor in Chapala and had a sonogram which showed a large cyst on her ovary.
As she had IMSS she contacted them that day, a Wednesday, and was told to go to the Chapala IMSS office to get the proper paperwork at 6:00 am Thursday morning. She did but it took another day to get everything into place and she was to meet the IMSS person on the following Monday. When she met the person on that following Monday she was told they would call her with an appointment asap for Clinic 89 in Guadalajara. The doctor in Chapala had told her that there was a risk of rupture or torsion so speed was of the essence as the ability for her to have children in the future could be at stake which she had told IMSS from the outset.
In the meantime, following the appointment with IMSS on Monday, she sought a second opinion from a recommended private doctor in Guadalajara as she could find nothing about Clinic 89 on the internet which did not give her confidence. She saw the private doctor later that Monday and was given her cell phone number to call day or night. Further tests were done at a wonderful lab in Guadalajara in the evening as this doctor seemed to grasp the urgency of the situation and called the lab to have the tests done at once as the doctor wanted to operate as early as the week-end pending results.
About 11:00 p.m. that same night she was in agony. Fortunately, she had the cell phone number of the private doctor in Guadalajara and was instructed to meet her for emergency surgery at Santa Maria Chapalita Hospital.
At midnight she underwent a 2 hour emergency surgery to remove the ruptured cyst and everything went well.
The hospital were she spent 2 days took wonderful care of her and staff were very kind and considerate. Family members were welcome to stay with her in her room and every consideration was taken for her care and comfort. From the time she arrived at the emergency room to the time she was wheeled and assisted into her car she was treated with caring and respect.
The private doctor kept her very well informed every step of the way and she left the hospital with notes for her medications and care and a follow up appointment.
She is now recovering comfortably at home.
The entire procedure and hospital stay cost under $5,000.00US.
She doesn’t know what would have happened with IMSS because by the time it took her to have all the necessary paperwork in place it would have been too late for a successful surgery.
During the time she was waiting for IMSS to respond to her situation she had communicated with her aunt in the US who is in the medical profession and had sent her an email from a doctor friend of hers giving her all the information on ovarian cysts and all possible treatments and complications. The private doctor in Guadalajara responded perfectly and in total agreement with all the information she had received from her aunt.
So for those of you that think the only solution would be to get to the US or Canada for a medical emergency we now know excellent doctors and hospitals are available right here minutes away from our beautiful village in the sun.