This article is in response to an article I posted on the 10th of November entitled: What Can Seniors do if they are Denied Coverage Under Obamacare? And admittedly if you have some very serious conditions there aren't very many options, especially if you don't happen to have a lot of money. However, while I was living in Argentina I noticed that the people there adapted to their poor healthcare situations in various ways. I hope to discuss some of these ways with you today.
One off the first things that you need to understand is the condition in which I lived, and in which most Argentine people live. I didn't have a car, or a washing machine, or a dishwasher. It made me feel like some sort of pioneer living in the early 1800’s. I had to hand wash my clothes, and my dishes, I had to clean my home without modern convenience, and I walked everywhere. Argentina is a very poor country, and its people by our standards in the United States are impoverished. I attribute their poverty to their governments poor economic policies.
Once when I was very ill with some kind of flu virus I finally decided to break down and visit the doctor. This was while I was living in Villa Ramallo a small town near the river Parana. We took a taxi because I didn't think that I would be able to walk the half mile or so to the Medical Center.
In the midst of all of this poverty and government corruption, you can imagine what their healthcare system is like. The hospitals and medical buildings I personally saw and sometimes visited were comparable to industrial warehouses. The inside of the medical centers were not much better. The bleak hallways were lined with old and overused medical equipment. It just didn't feel clean, the atmosphere was grungy.
When I arrived, I waited for about three minutes and the doctor brought me in. It soon became apparent why we didn't have to wait very long. The doctor asked me what was wrong. I told him what the problem was, that I had a very bad flu and that I was concerned for my health because I didn't seem to be getting better. He looked at me for about a second before handing me some pills and sending me on my merry way. I left feeling a little perplexed, I didn't have to pay anything for this healthcare, but I certainly didn't receive the excellent medical advice or treatment that I had expected growing up in the United States. I ended up not taking the pills because I didn't know what they were. Fortunately, I got better over the next few weeks by self-medicating myself with tea and plenty of Ibuprofen.
Surgery in Argentina can only be described as questionable. While in Argentina I spoke with many people, and saw the results of some pretty ugly looking surgeries.On more than one occasion I witnessed men in the streets--you have to realize that people go out in public without shirts on all the time in Argentina--who were victims of appendicitis and other intestinal operations. Their scars were gnarled and twisted by unprofessional looking stitch jobs and ragged incision marks which extended from one hemisphere of the abdominal region to the other.
Another man told us that he was left nearly blind after he went through an eye surgery. The man expressed that he believed that it was due to the hospital and surgeons' malpractice, but that he was too poor to hire a lawyer to help him win any case against them.
As you can see, the government run healthcare in Argentina is certainly lacking.
However, one option available to the Argentines who could afford it is a private company that is separate from the government run healthcare system. One family that I frequently visited were rich enough that when their children became ill a professional doctor, who was always on call, would come to their home and provide them with the medical attention that they needed. I happened to be present when one such doctor arrived at their home. He seemed to care about his job, he looked clean cut and professional. The best part was that he prescribed and gave them antibiotics and ibuprofen on the spot, they didn't even have to go to the pharmacy! I was really impressed. I wished that I could afford such good service. The doctor received payment right then and there in cash, and it was definitely a little more pricey, but worth it.
Similar private health companies are available in the United States. If you are interested in keeping the quality of your healthcare I would highly recommend looking into private healthcare for you and your family. EliteHealth is an example of just one of these companies, search for the best company for your needs.
At Home Oxygen Companies.com we have always encouraged people to carry out whatever healthcare services that they can by themselves in the comfort of their own home. This is also an option to consider, check our website for a list of Durable Medical Equipment Providers in your area, and find out more about the types of services that they can offer you.
As the quality of healthcare in Argentina declined over the years, people have resorted to different Complementary and Alternative Medicine solutions as well. As I mentioned before, I used different types of teas to help me get over my flu. Chamomile Tea
, Boldo Tea
, and Eucalyptus tea
, were some of the very popular alternative medicines available at a relativity cheep price in Argentina. Although alternative medicine and complementary medicines can be useful, they should never replace the services of a competent doctor or medical adviser. Also, always seek advice from pharmacists before using any type of herb for self treatment. We will have more information on complementary medicine in the future.Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact us either on this blog or through our forum. Make sure to share this article with your family and friends via Facebook, Twitter, and Google. Keep reading for more information.
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