Updated February 3rd, 2018 

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Recently I spent a little over two months in Buenos Aires. I absolutely love the city and felt right at home in my apartment there. I know that I really loved the city because my short time there was actually a series of unfortunate events! While in the city I got slammed with one injury or sickness after another. Hopefully my unfortunate experiences might come in handy if misfortune strikes you in Buenos Aires too.

Spoiler alert: Buenos Aries has good health care, but get travel insurance!

Me vs Glass Door

For those of you that have been reading my blog for awhile now, you know that within an hour of arriving in Buenos Aires I ran into a glass door. The huge bump on my head lead to massive amounts of bruising around and under my eyes. Along with the visual side effects of the accident, I also had headaches off and on for a week. What a way to start a new adventure! 

Me vs Cough

Just as my face was healing I started to get a cold, which was mostly a nagging cough. The persistent cough lasted for four weeks! When I went to a Tango show I held my coughing in until the applause between each number to try not to disturb everyone. About halfway through the cough I admitted defeat and went to a pharmacy to buy some cough syrup.

Pharmacies 

There are pharmacies all around the city. While Farmacity is a well-known chain pharmacy, numerous independent and smaller chain pharmacies can be found in the shopping areas.

I needed to use Spanish at every pharmacy I visited. Most of the pharmacies I went into had the majority of medicines and medical products behind the counter.

If you don’t speak the language look up the main words ahead of time and either write them down or know how to say them. Be prepared for additional questions related to your medicine. For example when I asked for cough medicine I was asked if I want tablets or a syrup.

If you receive a medication and can’t understand the pharmacists directions or read the instructions, try to use a translator with a photo option (google translate). It will take a photo of the words and then translate to English.

I know enough Spanish that I could communicate in person, know what to ask for and understand the additional questions and the directions for taking the medicine. Another tip that many travelers give when traveling to a country where you don’t know the language is to know the generic names of the types of medicines you take regularly or might need in case of a cold or flu. For example pharmacists might not know what Tylenol is, but they might recognize what acetaminophen is.

Me vs Gym Floor

After four weeks I finally realized one day that my cough was gone. I guess I jinxed myself, because believe it or not, the very next day I was at the gym and I fell and sprained my ankle.

Searing pain kept me off my foot and limping for days. I made a visit to a different pharmacy and somehow talked my way into getting an appropriate ankle brace. Soon enough muscle cramping and tingling leg pain got added to the mix. After three weeks of little progress I finally knew it was time to see a doctor.

Finding a Doctor in Buenos Aires

I am no expert on this, because boy did I struggle! All my recommendations and research led me to hospitals. I didn’t think I was that bad that I needed a hospital, but I was really struggling to find some sort of walk-in clinic or urgent care place.

Here is what my research taught me:

-There is free public health care and reasonably priced private care.

-Call/email your insurance to see what place they recommend.

–The USA Embassy in Buenos Aires website recommends some doctors. I almost saw Dr. Raul Kelly but his office was in an apartment. I read a review that left me feeling skeptical, because it seemed odd to me to have an office in an apartment. At the very least if something was wrong I would need to go to a clinic or hospital regardless to have x-rays or more tests done so it didn’t seem practical for me.

-Hospital Italiano was recommended to me by an Argentinian who had lived in the city, but I found few favorable online reviews. Out of the couple that I did find they stated “sketchy practices”.

-From online reviews the British, German and Swiss hospitals all seemed to be a good option. Goats on the Road wrote a helpful review about their experience at the German (Aleman) hospital.

-I personally knew someone who was so ill that she had to have a several night stay at Sanatorio de La Trinidad Palermo hospital. Although most of the staff did not speak English, she said the care and facilities were very nice.

-Even if you wouldn’t go to the ER in the USA, it might be your best option here, so you don’t need to wait a month for an appointment at a clinic.

Clinica del Sol 

My Visit

My insurance recommended Clinica Del Sol so I ended up heading there. It was possible to request a turn (an appointment)  online. I did this by creating an account in the portal and then going to “Guardia Smart” and “Reservá tu lugar”. It gives you a time (mine was 30 minutes later) with a window of about 1.5 hrs to arrive at the clinic.

When I arrived at the clinic I showed the receptionist a photo of my confirmed turn online. He didn’t speak a lot of English, but he was friendly and helpful. He personally took me where I needed to go several times and when I was asked to pay again he was understanding and apologetic. Before anything is done you need to pay. This seems to be common across all medical facilities in the city.

I was seen by two doctors, one who didn’t speak English and another who spoke some English (he was requested by the first one). It was very brief, but I feel that way at most doctor visits.

I was sent to take x-rays by a technician that didn’t speak any English. After receiving the x-rays I saw the original doctors again and was given recommendations on my next steps.

Review

The overall experience was favorable. If any medical experience can even be considered favorable? From when I walked in the door to when I walked out the door was about one hour and forty-five minutes. The cost of seeing the specialist doctors twice (before and after x-rays) and having the x-rays was about 65 USD without insurance at this private clinic.

It all felt a bit strange and surreal. I was being seen at an ER but everyone else waiting appeared normal. I always envision a ER to be filled with screaming, bloody and broken people.

The hospital wasn’t necessarily new. Although it had a bit of a worn feel, it felt clean and the care felt reasonable compared to other medical experiences I have had.

Of course there was a language barrier. I have a pretty decent level of Spanish and I usually prefer using Spanish when possible. When receiving medical care though I want to know what is going on. There was some things lost in translation and moments of confusion, but having the doctor that spoke some English made it doable. Everyone was very friendly too.

I hope I never need to, but I would go back to Clinica Del Sol if I had another health issue in Buenos Aires.

Health Insurance

My 65 USD medical bill was nothing too worry too much about, but paying for the next two weeks in my AirBnB and my unexpected flight back home was. Let me tell you, buying a Argentina to Chicago, IL flight ticket three days before the flight is not cheap! I felt comfortable with my doctor at home and wanted the TLC of my family so I decided to suck it up and head back home so I could return to South America when I was physically able to enjoy it.

I was so pleasantly surprised with World Nomads Insurance! Not only did I get my medical costs reimbursed, but also my accommodations and flight back home! That is the best part of using international insurance, they cover everything! Unlike in the USA, when you have independent insurance and have to spend thousands of dollars for your own care before you get anything back, while paying a month fee.

World Nomads insurance is like insurance should be, you pay a monthly cost and then get reimbursed for anything that your insurance covers if the unexpected happens. The standard plan covers anything from emergency dental costs, a good chunk of adventure sports, trip cancellations, baggage delays, and more.

Get a quote for your destination immediately and get quick coverage!

 

If you find yourself in Buenos Aires in need of medical care, I feel for you. It is hard to be sick or injured anywhere, but especially in another country when you are alone and don’t know the language. Do not worry about the level of care here. You will get good care for a much cheaper rate! Please send me a message if I can be of any assistance!

Visiting Information

Clinica Del Sol

Recoleta: Cnel. Díaz 2211, C1425AYM CABA

WorldNomads.com

More About Argentina

• 13 Things to Know About Argentina
• Buenos Aires: Where to Stay
• Buenos Aires: Tango – where to dance Tango and where to watch Tango
• Buenos Aires: Fútbol – how to get tickets to a Boca Juniors game
• Buenos Aires: Steak – the best places to eat steak in Palermo
• Buenos Aires: Restaurants – where to eat in Palermo
• Buenos Aires: MALBA – The Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires
• Buenos Aires: Evita Museum – museum dedicated to the life of Eva Perón
• Tigre: A Day trip to Tigre from Buenos Aires
• Salta: What to Do in Salta – in Northwest Argentina
• Salta Day Trips: Salinas Grandes and la Quebrada de Humahuaca, Rafting & Zip-lining, Cachi

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