06 April 2010

Emergency Medical Services in Mexico

Generally speaking, medical services in Mexico are pretty good and I would go as far to say that without the medical care that I have received in Mexico I would have had to leave this Earth to meet my Maker long ago. Of course the services can vary from locale to locale and may also vary depending on the ability of the patient to afford them but basic adequate medical coverage is widely available at a reasonable cost and efforts are continually being made to broaden that coverage. Emergency Medical Services (EMS), on the other hand, are a bit more difficult to categorize. It really depends upon where you are and how much responsibility you have taken to assure your own safety. For example, if a medical emergency arose suddenly do you know immediately what number to call to obtain help? Is the number posted next to your telephone or is it contained in your cell phone directory? Perhaps you would do what too many people do and run around searching for the phone directory and fumbling through the pages while precious time is ticking by or perhaps you fling open the door and start shouting "Help! Help!" but in your excitement you are shouting in English and no one heeds your cry. Suppose that you do know the number and you calmly and efficiently make the call. Do you know how to ask for help and report the details in Spanish? Well, don't you think that it is time that you should?

Don't worry amigo, help is on the horizon. My blogger friend Marilyn Moss is an Emergency Medical Services technician and she has written a comprehensive guide called "Emergency Medical Spanish ". It is an English/Spanish guide for medical services that includes making the call for help, fifteen chapters of medical complaints in English along with the Spanish equivalents, conversational medical phrases and vocabulary, and much, much more. If you are an English speaking person living in Mexico you should have this guide as a quick reference regardless of your Spanish speaking and comprehension ability. If you are moving to Mexico or visiting Mexico for extended periods, or even just contemplating a move to Mexico this book is an essential for taking responsibility for your own safety. It could save your life or that of someone you love. In addition, it will also make you a more responsible member of whatever community in Mexico that you join.

You can find out more about this book by clicking here: "Mexican Trailrunner". The seventy page book can be downloaded in a variety of popular formats after paying a nominal fee through Paypal. It is as quick and easy as yelling "Help! Help!".

3 comments:

Rodney said...

Thanks Bob,

Your post gives us some good commonsense tips we should follow in our homes in the US, not just Mexico.

1st Mate said...

Gracias, amigo - I will post this on my blog and also on the local internet forum.

Ray Clifton said...

Thanks for the tip--a great idea even for those of us who spend a few weeks a year traveling down South.

Also not a bad idea to have on hand here in the States. I've heard some sad stories about Hispanics in need of medical care who are unable to describe their problem in English.

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About Me

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I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. I have been living in Mexico since January 6th, 1999. I am continually studying to improve my knowledge of the Spanish language and Mexican history and culture. I am also a student of Mandarin Chinese.