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lilimarlene on If you need a doctor in Rome... JKW on If you need a doctor in Rome... To comment on any posting, click on the word 'Comments' at the end of the item. |
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« Mopeds rock Rome | Main | Today is a holiday in Italy, a day to shop and put up the Christmas tree » December 5, 2005If you need a doctor in Rome...I got sick over the weekend. It started with that scratch on the back of the throat but by the end of the day I couldn't swallow or even shake my head without pain. I spoke with my mother on the phone and she freaked out, saying that it was meningitis, a deadly disease that can affect stressed-out college students. This caused me to start worrying so I took action to get myself to a doctor. A cool thing about Italy is that healthcare is free. Each residential zone has a doctor assigned to it. If you go to the emergency room, you pay nothing. I had taken advantage of this twice in the past -- walking myself to the emergency entrance and requesting help. Yes, it was free, but I had to wait two hours before seeing even a nurse. The first time I went to the Italian E.R. (a year ago), they told me that I had an appendix infection. "But I have pain in my kidneys," I replied in broken Italian. The three doctors shook their heads and assured me it was my appendix. They told me that I would have to return every day for five days (and wait 2 hours, no less) to get a shot of antibiotics. "Non è possibile," I said. "I go home for Christmas in three days." They told me that was fine, and that I didn't need the shots. ...For appendicitis??? I later found out from my American doctor that I had a kidney infection. So this time around, I wasn't going to fool around with the Italian hospital. I headed out to the American Hospital! In truth, the American Hospital is also Italian, but it employs doctors who have studied in the US and speak English. This hospital was also where Kurt Cobain of the band Nirvana, who were playing a concert in Rome some years back, recovered after a drug overdose. I figured that if it was good enough for a rock star, it was good enough for me. The alleged meningitis ended up being a bad case of strep throat. My doctor was less interested in writing me a prescription than in the fact that I was from New England. She had studied in Boston for 5 years. For those traveling to Rome, keep this in your pocket: Rome American Hospital, via Emilio Longoni, 69 - 00155 Roma. The Hospital does NOT have an emergency room, but walk right in and request to see an English-speaking doctor. Foreigners will be asked to pay a small fee. Posted by Kelsea CommentsI'm glad you posted this. So many people in the U.S. take so much for granted and execllent health care is one of them. The system is not perfect and HMO's along with Health Insurance companies have certainly contributed to the problems we have. However, we have the finest medical schools in the world which produce some of the finest physicians worldwide. I see that your time in Italy is making you aware of that fact. Hopefully people will read your blogs and become aware of this as well. Sincerely, JKW Posted by: JKW at December 14, 2005 9:16 AM Oooh! Old post, but valuable! We are going to Rome for Thanksgiving and my elderly parents are accompanying us. I will value this info and I agree w/JKW. Our system is not perfect; just better than all the rest. Posted by: lilimarlene at August 31, 2006 8:50 AM |
Kelsea Brennan-Wessels is a sophomore at The American University of Rome |
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Comments
I'm glad you posted this. So many people in the U.S. take so much for granted and execllent health care is one of them. The system is not perfect and HMO's along with Health Insurance companies have certainly contributed to the problems we have. However, we have the finest medical schools in the world which produce some of the finest physicians worldwide. I see that your time in Italy is making you aware of that fact. Hopefully people will read your blogs and become aware of this as well.
Sincerely,
JKW
Posted by: JKW | December 14, 2005 9:16 AM
Oooh! Old post, but valuable! We are going to Rome for Thanksgiving and my elderly parents are accompanying us. I will value this info and I agree w/JKW. Our system is not perfect; just better than all the rest.
Posted by: lilimarlene | August 31, 2006 8:50 AM