Why on earth is this story in a newspaper? It seems like a facebook post. ...more evidence why not to visit or live in South America.
God works in mysterious ways?
One is left to wonder what might happen to an American citizen or other foreign nationals in a similar situation in Rio. What a mess that would be. No treatment, no help, no transfer to a private hospital. Yikes.
I have traveled extensively in Europe, the Caribbean and Central America and resided overseas for a few months on a couple of occasions. Fortunately, I've only needed medical attention twice, once interestingly, in Portugal, and more recently in France. In Portugal, I got to see a doctor without charge and he told me not to worry.
In France, I was running for Metro car and grabbed the edge of the door to assist my quick entry and right hand got rather severely cut on the door itself. Bleeding, I got off two stops later in a neighborhood I remembered well. With a drug store nearby, I remembered that, in France, pharmacies can treat minor injuries (didn't seem that minor to me, but it wasn't dire, either). So, they help cleaned the wound and wrapped my hand.
Two wonderful, trusting women then took me in their car to an emergency facility near Notre Dame and dropped me off. There, I sat for a couple of hours and watched as the police brought arrestees in for treatment before going to jail. Nothing was moving forward, so I asked if they had any , médecine, forgetting that this is the french word for doctor. I had only arrived in Paris that day, so jet lagged and exhausted, I eventually left without further treatment, trusting the cleaning and wrap from the pharmacy.
I have traveled extensively in Europe, the Caribbean and Central America and resided overseas for a few months on a couple of occasions. Fortunately, I've only needed medical attention twice, once interestingly, in Portugal, and more recently in France. In Portugal, I got to see a doctor without charge and he told me not to worry.
In France, I was running for Metro car and grabbed the edge of the door to assist my quick entry and right hand got rather severely cut on the door itself. Bleeding, I got off two stops later in a neighborhood I remembered well. With a drug store nearby, I remembered that, in France, pharmacies can treat minor injuries (didn't seem that minor to me, but it wasn't dire, either). So, they help cleaned the wound and wrapped my hand.
Two wonderful, trusting women then took me in their car to an emergency facility near Notre Dame and dropped me off. There, I sat for a couple of hours and watched as the police brought arrestees in for treatment before going to jail. Nothing was moving forward, so I asked if they had any , médecine, forgetting that this is the french word for doctor. I had only arrived in Paris that day, so jet lagged and exhausted, I eventually left without further treatment, trusting the cleaning and wrap from the pharmacy.
4
and what happened to the cab driver? Not a word about him.
8
Sounds like the US pre EMTALA. Poor people could not be admitted into most hospitals without insurance.
5
Great article and similar to many I've been around after 14 years of travelling and having a place in Brazil. I suspect the author's Portuguese was good enough that they treated her as a local. If you are obviously non Brazilian, especially American, if you start screaming in your native language that can make things happen in your favor. Spanish is an exception so English, or any other language I've seen work.
2
a happy ending! congratulations! you were very lucky!
but look at the disastrous health care for the majority of the population. if you had stayed in the public hospital where would you be now?
And...no one can take their eyes off the road for more than 1-2 seconds!
but look at the disastrous health care for the majority of the population. if you had stayed in the public hospital where would you be now?
And...no one can take their eyes off the road for more than 1-2 seconds!
5
Exhibit A here. Taking my eyes off the highway for 5-6 seconds (wondering if I was missing the exit I'd wanted) was what caused me to get into the only reportable collision I've ever been in. Entirely my fault.
The only 'happy' part of this story is that no one was killed. This event, to me, was not an 'accident'. An accident can't be avoided. This was a collision and was 100% avoidable had the taxi driver not taken his eyes off the road. Passengers should never say or do anything that could result in the driver becoming distracted. My congratulations to Alice Watson on the birth of her child. That almost didn't happen. Driving is not just a driver's job, it's their ONLY job. An important part of that job is ignoring any and all distractions, passengers included.
16
Asking a taxi driver where you are should not be considered anything that would cause him or her to take eyes off the road. They are supposed to be professional drivers and that means they should know when it is safe to glance away for a moment and when it is not. Sounds to me like they had a lousy driver. Perhaps he looked away and turned the steering wheel reflexively. This was in no way the fault of the passengers.
8
And the baby born without Zika. A happy ending, no?
5
thats just inappropriate. How about you enjoy the fact that the baby was healthy and leave it at that.
4
Few people know the fact you mentioned about not being able to choose which hospital to go to.
Our health system is completely disfunctional. Private insurance might work for regular doctor appointments (in the public system you'd have to wait for months just to get to see a doctor), but in case of an accident, you are taken to the nearest public hospital (no choice even within the public system) and most cases are treated there. By law, the private insurer must reimburse the public system for the treatment, but they do not.
At least I am relieved to read that your pregnancy was fine. An added bonus to the health nightmare is the current zika epidemic. Of course it is out of the question to get an abortion if you do have zika and incur the risk of having a baby with serious mental problems (abortion is outlawed except in very few cases, such as rape).
Since I mentioned, the number of dengue cases in Rio this year has already doubled compared with the first two months of 2015. So, if you are considering whether we are taking care of the serious health issue, especially since the olympics are around the corner, the answer is a big no. All the government does is distribute pamphlets about how important it is to fight the mosquito. We used to spray against the mosquito in the 80's, but ever since we have basically stopped doing anything about it and only watched as the number of cases and deaths rose.
Our health system is completely disfunctional. Private insurance might work for regular doctor appointments (in the public system you'd have to wait for months just to get to see a doctor), but in case of an accident, you are taken to the nearest public hospital (no choice even within the public system) and most cases are treated there. By law, the private insurer must reimburse the public system for the treatment, but they do not.
At least I am relieved to read that your pregnancy was fine. An added bonus to the health nightmare is the current zika epidemic. Of course it is out of the question to get an abortion if you do have zika and incur the risk of having a baby with serious mental problems (abortion is outlawed except in very few cases, such as rape).
Since I mentioned, the number of dengue cases in Rio this year has already doubled compared with the first two months of 2015. So, if you are considering whether we are taking care of the serious health issue, especially since the olympics are around the corner, the answer is a big no. All the government does is distribute pamphlets about how important it is to fight the mosquito. We used to spray against the mosquito in the 80's, but ever since we have basically stopped doing anything about it and only watched as the number of cases and deaths rose.
13
This woman has an accident that forces her to go to a public hospital and experience what poor people experience. Then she is whisked away to medical privilege and more good personal fortune. While reading, I kept imagining that her experience of rubbing shoulders with the less fortunate would result in some kind of insight or something kind/helpful to someone she met. But no. Me, me, me. About 5 years ago I "forgot" to give to my alma mater's annual drive. As I feel this growing disconnect with young people, I keep forgetting to make my annual contribution. Oh well, more for me. (alternate ending for the story: "and we never did learn the name of that darn favela!")
27
Very happy for you.
I can't help thinking that it is very important not to distract a driver.
I can't help thinking that it is very important not to distract a driver.
12
What is a very happy ending is also, unfortunately, a message about government sponsored health care...or should I say lack of health care
1
Yes, lack of government-sponsored healthcare. Do you think the scenario plays out much differently in many U.S. public hospitals, especially in urban areas? Of course not.
4
What an uplifting story with a heart warming
ending.
ending.
1
What happened to your Aunt, Grandma, and Grandma's friend? Did the taxi driver make it okay? just wondering.
Congrats on the healthy baby girl.
Congrats on the healthy baby girl.
9
Beautiful. Congratulations!
Wow . . . talk about lemonade from lemons! That's an amazing story . . . kiss that baby for all of us!
1
I am glad for the happy ending and I wish Mother and Baby well - although I am still to be convinced that car crashes or falls can dissolve ovarian cysts.
In any case, the writer's depiction of public health care in Brazil seems to mix reality and fantasy.
I was particularly suspicious of the statement that she had "lost count of the number of shooting victims" she saw. Violence is a problem in Brazilian cities, but this statement seems exaggerated.
Public health care in Brazil is not wonderful, but it is not all bad. If there is a dimension of it which has been widely praised it is the treatment at emergency wards; even those who have the luxury of being able to afford private health care know that, given the choice, they will be better off at the emergency ward of a public hospital before being transferred to a private hospital. Waiting times in London hospitals can be equally long, and treatment conditions can be far from ideal.
The renowned English Professor Richard Dawkins fell in Brazil not so long ago and was treated at a public hospital, and this is what he said: "In the hospital I was impressed by how little waiting around there was. British experience had prepared me for long hours in Accident and Emergency, and it was already nearly midnight. But no, they saw to me almost immediately. ...Then the doctor came, and he spoke good English."
So let's be fair...
In any case, the writer's depiction of public health care in Brazil seems to mix reality and fantasy.
I was particularly suspicious of the statement that she had "lost count of the number of shooting victims" she saw. Violence is a problem in Brazilian cities, but this statement seems exaggerated.
Public health care in Brazil is not wonderful, but it is not all bad. If there is a dimension of it which has been widely praised it is the treatment at emergency wards; even those who have the luxury of being able to afford private health care know that, given the choice, they will be better off at the emergency ward of a public hospital before being transferred to a private hospital. Waiting times in London hospitals can be equally long, and treatment conditions can be far from ideal.
The renowned English Professor Richard Dawkins fell in Brazil not so long ago and was treated at a public hospital, and this is what he said: "In the hospital I was impressed by how little waiting around there was. British experience had prepared me for long hours in Accident and Emergency, and it was already nearly midnight. But no, they saw to me almost immediately. ...Then the doctor came, and he spoke good English."
So let's be fair...
4