My eye! – why am I better treated in third world countries?

A large lump developed in my eyebrow last weekend. When it wouldn’t go away, I went to a medical clinic here. There was an exciting moment when we speculated that it might be a putzi fly larva burrowed in my skin. While disgusting, that would have been an exciting (and harmless) affliction. However, it hurts waaaaaayyyy too much to itch, which is a major sign of a putzi fly.

It’s a staff infection. This morning I woke up and my eye is swollen. It hurts a little less, but it looks terrible. 

When I went to the clinic yesterday, I just showed up. I had no appointment, but the doctor saw me less than 10minutes after I arrived. I walked out from the clinic less than half an hour later with an oral and topical antibiotic. Both the visit and medicine were 293 Pula (which is less than $50 USD). I kid you not. Even with my fancy private medical insurance in the States, my visit and medicine would have been more than $50. Further, I would not have gotten seen and diagnosed as quickly. 

 “It was a trivial condition!” you say, but the trivial condition that I had in the States in May was misdiagnosed after 4 phone calls and 3 visits. This is the third time that I have received medical aid in a “third world” country and the third time that it has made me cry over the state of medicine in my home. While my conditions were fairly simple in all three cases, I was correctly and swiftly diagnosed in all three cases.

While I was there, I also asked the doctor about a chronic knee issue I’ve been having. I told him I was worried about asking my doctor in the States (and have been unable to get an appointment) and he smiled in knowing sympathy. He then diagnosed it and told me what to do.