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20 years

Nearly 100,000 patients face at least three month wait for surgery

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Calderon Guardia Hospital

October 8th, 2014 (InsideCostaRica.com) Some 92,000 of 114,687 people awaiting surgery in one of Costa Rica’s public hospitals face a wait of three months or longer before receiving the procedure, according to the latest figures issued by Costa Rica’s Public Health and Pension System, CCSS.

 

Some 60% of the backlog is for general surgery or orthopedics.  Amongst those on the general surgery waiting list, 67% are suffering from hernias or gall bladder problems, according to CCSS officials.

 

The CCSS currently schedules surgical procedures on a first-come, first-serve basis.

 

The Constitutional Court gave an order in April 2013 that gave a one-year deadline for the CCSS to develop a plan to address the situation of backlogs in the public health system.

 

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  • Yeims

    This is a “medical twist” on a familiar occurrence, where the quasi-government monopolies have a switchboard for you to call (many, like the Migra, have a connection that charges you a dollar per minute that you are waiting for a “representative” to pick up the phone, but they hardly ever do, with the idea you will think they are very, very busy. The idea here is that Wow! the caja must really be busy to have so many patients backlogged. “We can’t keep up with the patient loads we have — obviously, we need more money.”

  • prdatki

    First thing fire the top 100 people at the Caja,no benefits! Then remove all benefits to Congress, why do they get free cell phone, gasoline and $100 a day for food? Put this money to the Hospitals. Maybe jail the last three ex presidents?

  • jimbo97

    Oh look – They already have Obamacare in Costa RIca!

    • jerry6665

      boring! can’t you discuss a topic without showing your bias that has nothing to do with Costa Rica????

      • jimbo97

        My boring comment was upvoted more than any other comment on this page. Where’ s your thoughtful insight on this topic Jerry? Are you in favor of government run healthcare where you wait for months for surgery? Crappy government run healthcare in the United States is no different than crappy government run healthcare in Costa Rica.

        • jerry6665

          still boring, jimbo, upvotes and comments notwithstanding. you’re a one-note song and it’s a sour note.

          • jimbo97

            So far I haven’t seen you discuss the topic Jerry – only criticize others who have…. Talk about boring.

          • jerry6665

            after you’ve traveled to as many other countries as I have and observed the medical advances and care in them, then you can whine about obamacare – but you won’t. you’ll be educated. I am able to afford care in the u.s. but 90% of the country couldn’t before the aca. you may feel like it’s stepping on your poor little toes but it’s the first step in offering medical care without bankrupting the recipient.
            we’re well below over 30 other countries in medical/dental care according to the World Health Organization.
            Examples: for hips/knee surgeries, Thailand is (and has been) ten or more years ahead of us. we’re just now beginning to do the surgeries they were doing 20 years ago! For fertility? go to panama. for heart surgeries, it’s india. for dental work and some plastic surgery, costa rica is light years ahead. not to forget cute buns- brazil!
            You show your ignorance when you blab about topics that you only spew without facts.
            it’s very boring listening to rehashes of rehashes of empty wind.

          • disgusted

            jerry6665, The CAJA doctors also work in many of the private hospitals as well. Also been exposed the Anesthesiologist, surgeons are making huge fee;s for “overtime”. They also see and preform just a few procedures a day. Thus rolls over into the OT.

            My good friend had surgery here. A botched job in a private hospital. There is no TORT law here. I won’t go into the details what he has to deal with each day now. It’s bad.

            So as you say it cheaper here, However, no recourse for bad outcome. Medical tourist have no idea how the medical profession monitors itself. There is no standardized test to practice. IF you have enough money and such eventually you get your license and god help you if you have such a doctor practicing on you.

            I do as much medical work in the USA as possible.

          • jerry6665

            the success rate for example, in dentistry in costa rica, is higher than that of the u.s. and the care is patient oriented, not greed oriented. I AM affiliated with medical practices and can tell you that the flood of americans going to c.r. for dental work has been fueled by the lousy work and the high prices charged in the states. I have seen miracles performed as a regular fact in c.r. correcting bad dentistry from the u.s. each visit I make to c.r.

            an example of medical cost. in Thailand, an America tourist (friend) broke her wrist. the charge for the entire work on her was under $600 including xrays, setting the bone, the cast, the followup, etc. and the wrist healed well despite it being a compound fracture. thanks to bumrungrad hospital.

            in costa rica, after I had a bad burger in California on my way to c.r., when I landed I was rushed to the emergency room at cima hospital suffering from food poisoning . I had 2 attending doctors, an intern available all night for anything I needed, a complete medical workup with all tests, 2 iv bags of ringers, an iv bag of antibiotic, all meds and even a blanket to take home… cost? $368.00 USD

            in Cambodia, a poor nation that has only about 25 years of actual peace and still has land mines dotting the countryside, the children are treated for free. the country lost most of its literate people and professionals to pol pot and other wars but as poor as it is, it helps its citizens wherever possible.

            let’s face it. I love my country but we are rapidly sliding behind in care of our citizens. when free medical crews go to cities to treat the poor, wristbands are given out and the lines to get the wristbands number in the thousands and the people line up for days in advance.. in Appalachia, the water is poisoned and in many areas, you can ignite the water.

            Kaiser has killed several friends of mine AND my stepfather in California and there is no recourse. they are a big hmo, faceless and literally sue-proof. if you had bad work in the country you’re in, i’m sorry but at least you know your doctor and CAN take action if you choose to. not every medical procedure is 100% successful. we are spoiled by ads in the u.s. – and shocked when we find out that other countries are not only competent but way ahead.

            wake up disgusted, jimbo and the rest who just spout from second hand stuff they read instead of getting facts. that’s why your posts are boring.
            it’s been fun but I have a plane to catch.
            play nice out there.
            bye

          • disgusted

            jerry6665, I have a long list of problems here from my friends, some have died as a lack of care at the hospital you mentioned.
            1. One was diagnosis with a cancer of the skin charged $800 then wanted to re check the old biopsy for another $200. He went to the States . No skin cancer. Ohterwise they would have been treating for nothing

            2.Another went to ER Cima they wanted his credit card BEFORE doing anything. He got IV and few test $1000.00 charge plus two more visits at $200 ended up going to the states treatment was wrong.
            3. Surgery at another hospital botched. Now has to do many things I will not go into detail. NEVER the doctors fault here.. Try suing take 5 years and thousands of dollars a waste of time.

            4. The Derm doctor was telling my friend about another guys problem to him NO CONFIDENTIALLY here Ethic .

            5. Jeff’s dental implants infected and ended up with a blood infection lead to open heart surgery because on the heart valve vegetation growth.

            Great you got all that for less than 400 dollars and a blanket. WOW I don’t believe you. Just walking , carried into ER cost $200 here Jerry I have been here a long time. I have my suspicions about all this post.

          • jimbo97

            I stopped reading when I got to “I am able to afford care in the u.s. but 90% of the country couldn’t before the aca”. That’s one of the most laughable lies I’ve heard from a Progressive shill this week!

          • jerry6665

            p.s. those countries I mentioned charge a fraction of what the u.s. charges. a FULL MOUTH restoration with implants, crowns and a great healthy smile in costa rica is 16K with 100% guarantee not 120K with no guarantee, hips/knees in Thailand? try 20K instead of 90K and the surgeries are less invasive, you heal in 50%of the time and the knees/hips last almost twice as long.
            do your homework, jimbo then go on a rant.

  • Ken Morris

    The admitted wait time is itself misleading, since it doesn’t count the time the patients spent waiting to get the tests and see the specialists to authorize the surgeries. Once the surgeries are scheduled, the patients are almost to the finish line. The real marathon is on the front end, making the situation far worse than the CCSS admits or the court acknowledged.

  • Lisa

    I’m an expat and I’ve had great health care at CIMA and Hospital Mexico before Obamacare was available..
    I’ve seen both private and public care and find them equal to the US….except for price, which is much less than the US.
    Plus, what could be better than living in beautiful Costa Rica?

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