Doctor?

[Barblin]

I've already done a search but couldn't find anything.
I just wanted to ask if there is a doctor available in Tulum Pueblo if one get's hurt or sick or perhaps even problems with pregnancy... ;-) Yes, that's what I want to know, is it a good idea to be pregnant in Tulum in July?
The nearest hospital would be in Cancun, right?
And are there any other things we should consider to stay healthy?
Thank you!

[minniemex]

Gale posted this info a while back. I would think that it is still current.

http://tulum.info/showthread.php?t=967&highlight=doctor

I hope this helps!! Congrats on the news!! How far along will you be in July??

[Lynnette]

Here's some info from LG:

Medical Service http://www.locogringo.com/lgunet/images/ref/100x91blank.jpg Dr. Elizabeth Mendoza - Medical Service in Akumal
Dr. Elizabeth Mendoza has an office and pharmacy. She speaks both Spanish and English. Her cell phone number is 044-984-108-0094. She also makes house calls.
Location: Akumal Pueblo on the main street right on top of the hill http://www.locogringo.com/lgunet/images/ref/100x91blank.jpg (http://www.tulum.info/redirector.php?url=mailto%3Adr_nestor_akumal%40hot mail.com) Dr. Nestor Mendoza Gutierrez (http://www.tulum.info/redirector.php?url=mailto%3Adr_nestor_akumal%40hot mail.com) - Medical Service in Akumal
House calls, emegency and 24 hr ambulance service. Office phone numbers 984-875-4051, 984-873-0764 in Playa, 984-873-1142, 984-875-9393. Ambulance Service 044-984-876-2250. Medical Service 044-984-806-4616. Just ask for Dr. Nestor, and he speaks English.
Location: Office at at the cancha in Akumal next to the basketball court.
Does not accept credit cards Open by appointment, daily.

[Barblin]

Thank you both for your info!

Minnie, I'm not already pregnant, but we're planning on being pregnant in July... :) I hope I will be around 3-4 months... ;) Keeping your fingers crossed for me would be nice! :D

Besides, how was your trip to the Maldives, Minnie?

[Gale in KY]

Here's a post from Bill's board by Suzanne, the owner of the XTC Dive Shop in Xcalak, who now resides in Puerto Aventuras. If she trusts him, I would definitely use his services.

The great thing is that he makes "house" calls..he will come to you, anywhere in the RM, including Tulum. If medication is necessary, he will get it for you and deliver it.

http://www.bill-in-tulsa.com/phpBB2_Bill_in_Tulsa_10-9-05/viewtopic.php?t=564

The closest hospital is Hospiten in Playa. It's new and has received great reviews by those who are unfortunate enough to need medical care while on vacation.

Hospiten Playa del Carmen 984-803-1002 Location: Hwy 307 on the North bound side near the Playacar entrance
Accepts credit cards Open 24 hrs, daily

http://www.hospiten.es/hospiten/HOSPITEN/published_en/DEFAULT/index.shtml

[beachreader]

Hmm, I never thought about this possibility. Will they take US health insurance, or do I just pay for everything and go to my insurance company when I get home?

I also carry supplemental insurance from Divers Alert Network. I don't dive much anymore, but they cover any accidents involving water, including frozen water, so I bought it for ski trips and just kept renewing it because it's a good organization. They'll cover really unusual stuff like hyperbaric chambers and emergency evacuations.

[Gale in KY]

BR..in the past, it has been cash on the barrelhead, and most did not accept credit cards. From what I understand, some US Medical Insurance is accepted at Hospiten, but you would need to inquire to find out for sure..the time to discover it isn't accepted is not when you are in the ER in Playa. I saw a report not too long ago about someone's misadventure and Hospiten did accept their Medical Insurance. Will try to find it.

At any rate, payment in full is expected before treatment, or before discharge from the hospital..they won't let you leave the country until the bill is paid.

[Toni]

Here is part of a piece that I thought I had posted here. This is an excerpt from a post this past fall.

I was very pleased with my care.
This is a little long !! They do have maternal care, there were various pamphlets touting the expert care they provide to mothers and babies.



"We were in MX for a month, our family joined us for a week. (2 daughters, son-in-laws and 2 grandchildren...4 years old and a 9 month old.) Here is what happened,..... on our last week I noticed my right ankle was swollen, I didn't worry too much because I had no pain in the ankle/foot and I had full mobility. I figured it was possibly due to carrying the baby around on the sand when the family was with us earlier. Then on Sat eve I noticed my right calf was quite swollen, and a lot more painful. (My rt calf had been bothering me on and off for a week or more, but I attributed it to overdoing it when the kids were with us ...or I hurt it getting in and out of the dive boat. The water had been quite choppy and it was hard to get in and out of the boat at times without hitting something, I just assumed that I hit it.)
So I took a ribbon and measured, compared it to the left calf. Rt calf about 1 1/2 inches larger.

So ....leg swollen, very tender to touch...may I say Blood Clot? (I am an RN and I was self diagnosing.) Flying home in less than 48 hours?? A little panic mode, imagining heparin drips, hospital admission. I knewwould need a Doppler study to diagnose. So early Sunday we drive to Playa to Hospiten, it it the first hospital on the right of 307 as you enter PDC. What a great surprise. Staff fully bilingual, each one nicer than the next. Spotless, modern and fully equipped. I asked if they did Dopplers, they said of course. So I register, on an English language form, then taken to an exam room, seen by an RN. BP high. I am very nervous imagining admission, heparin, can't fly home etc etc.

Then the ER doc visits, (female) she examines me, measures calf, says Si Senora you probably do have a clot, we will get the Doppler and get stat blood work. Says if it is a clot I will not be going home.
They call in the Doppler guy, not sure if an MD or tech. Very thorough, talked me thru the whole thing, put it on a big flat screen TV so I could see the study. After about 45 mins of a very thorough study he says you have a ruptured Bakers Cyst, it is quite large and they can cause clots. He called in a radiologist and they continued to scan the leg together. Finally decided that all major vessels are clean, but I will have to see my MD ASAP at home. In case a small one is there or one develops due to the leg swelling causing the smaller vessels to clot. I am OK to fly home the next day! Boy was I relieved. I was truly a wreck. (A Doppler is about the only way to diagnose and differentiate between a Bakers cyst and a clot. Symptoms are almost identical.)


Then back to the original exam room, here comes an orthopedic doc to apply a huge leg brace, thigh to ankle. I say Oh no. he does a thorough exam, says all right but rest, stay off of it and see my doc at home ASAP.

Mark said I should have gotten the brace and maybe be upgraded flying home! hahaha

The place was immaculate, modern and very nice, The bathrooms were amazing. Mark said he could have lived in the bathroom it was so clean, still could not flush the TP though.

They used the same blood draw equipment we use. Had all supplies labeled and dated. I snooped when I was alone. Immaculate!

You pay up front, a 500.00 USD “hold”, not charged until you are finished. If less, you only pay the balance due, if more you add it to the 500.00 being held. They do accept large national insurances. The entire bill, stat labs, Doppler, seeing 3 MD's, possibly 4 (Doppler guy?) Was 512.00 USD.
The Doppler was 275 USD, various labs, bleeding times, CBC etc added to the cost. There was a small ER cost as well. The cost of the physicians??? Saw 3 for sure, for all 3 a total of 100.00! That's it! I was shocked. I imagine triple or more at home. I was given full reports for the Doppler and the physicians notes, itemized bill etc. My MD here (, I saw her a day after we got home), said they were right and she would have done the same thing! )

Mark and I were so relieved, no clot, flying home . Trip ending on a great note. We were back on the beach around noon.

It is certainly nothing I would want to ever do again on vacation, But I would certainly recommend them and hopefully I will never need to visit them again, but it is nice to know that Hospiten is there just in case!"

[Gale in KY]

Haha..Toni..I went to LG to copy your post..you beat me to it! :)

[CindyM]

Ok, not sure if this is any help to you but.....

We stayed at Tankah Bay last year. My 16 yr old son split his toe open on the beach. Our caretaker for the house contacted her friend who worked in the Tulum pueblo at, I believe it was an agency of sorts, maybe, car, insurance, travel or real estate, I can't recall.

I met this gal in the pueblo, she spoke english, she drove us to this very NICE, very CLEAN, doctor's office off the main road in town.

The doctor was very good (she did not speak english, the other gal did).

I was very happy with the treatment. Very professional.

Since I can't recall the address or name of doctor, if an emergency happened again I think I would ask a local, or drive into the town, and ask there.

Now that I think about it... I really should have taken her name for the future.

[Armchairshrink]

A bit closer for minor emergencies, we went to the health center in Tulum (as listed in the lonely planet guidebook - sorry, I don't remember now which one but I could look it up).

My finace's eardrum burst (we didn't know this at the time) and we decided to try Tulum before we spent a whole day at a hospital in PDC. We were glad we did, as it was fairly minor. We got in, got a prescription for antibiotics, and were on our way in under 2 hours for less than $25 (including prescriptions). We were very impressed with the healthcare in Tulum. It's not a hospital obviously but if you want a checkup on something that's worrying you and it's not an emergency, I'd give it a try.

[beachreader]

What a great thread, so helpful, and very reassuring! Thanks all!

[Toni]

After getting home, I submitted the hospital bill to my insurance company. I was shocked when I was reimbursed for all of the expense except my 125.00 co-pay for out the of network hospital visit. And the entire bill was notes in Spanish. I did get a funny call from the insurance group ....
"we don't have anyone here who can read Spanish, what does it say?" hahahaa

[minniemex]

As I progress in the natural ascension of age, I am truly happy to hear of such positive experiences!!

[beachreader]

... the natural ascension of age...


:D:D:D;) *snort*

[Barblin]

I also wanted to thank you all for your posts! That's so nice and good to know.