Just got back from the doctor and thought, I have to write about this...and so here it is.
I am blessed to live in a country where they genuinely care about the individual. For every horror story in terms of medical care, I would guess that there are at least five amazing ones. My throat has been bothering me for weeks. I went to the doctor 10 days ago. He didn't do a throat culture because it was, quite literally, right before a seven-day holiday and the labs would be shutting down for the first two days.
He gave me a referral for the nurses, instructing them to do a throat culture, and he gave me instructions to come in during the holiday, if my throat still hurts. It did; I didn't.
So I went back today, having, of course, lost the referral somewhere along the way. The nurse printed it out, took the throat culture, and insisted on taking my blood pressure as well. She wasn't able to get me in to see the doctor immediately, but made an appointment for the first available slot - an hour and twenty minutes later.
I walked out of her area and saw the doctor's door was open. From the doorway, I explained that I had an appointment in a bit over an hour. Before I'd even finished, he told me to come in and close the door. He looked; did another throat culture, and then gave me the prescription for antibiotics that I would need if the culture comes back positive.
I then walked out of the doctor's offices to the pharmacy, conveniently located right next door. For all of $4.00 or so, I walked out with a box of penicillin. Mission accomplished.
Two summers ago, I had a long-running fever. It took a bit of testing, but again, I was diagnosed with a serious virus and checked thoroughly. Sometimes it takes time, but the doctors keep trying. I saw an infectious diseases doctor. I was given tests to make sure that my heart was okay. I went to the emergency medical center and back and forth to the doctors many times both during the summer and the difficult winter that followed (which included two bouts of pneumonia). And for all that care, I paid standards costs - a few hundred shekels for visits (which cost a bit over $1 per visit), and various medications.
Four summers ago, I fell as I was walking down a gentle slope with shoes that had no traction (and yes, that's what you get for buying cheap shoes, sometimes). My hip and elbow were bruised but fine; but because my elbow chose to shift and not break, my shoulder was badly damaged, a muscle torn almost completely.
It took a while to figure out that's what it was, but once they understood, I got an appointment with a renowned expert whose name is nothing less than the first name doctors think of when dealing with a shoulder industry. That he turned out to be amazingly knowledgeable AND an amazingly nice person made the whole nightmare manageable. I stayed overnight in the hospital, had excellent care, and paid not a shekel.
Sometimes they miss. Sometimes they make mistakes. But they care, they try.
I wouldn't trade Israel's medical system for anything. It could be better...what can't be? I know people with serious medical issues who feel the coverage doesn't meet their needs, but from infancy through senior years, Israel's medical system is a shining success story. We have some of the finest birth centers in the world. My father was recently in a rehabilitation that focuses on treating geriatric patients. From all over the Middle East, they come here to Israel...and we take our resources, our knowledge, our trained professionals all over the world when disaster strikes.
Such a thankfully simple thing like a possible case of strep throat and yet a reminder that in a region where hundreds of thousands go without medical care at even the most basic levels, we have an advanced and dynamic system in place.
It's a day...everyday is a day...to be proud of being Israeli.
I am blessed to live in a country where they genuinely care about the individual. For every horror story in terms of medical care, I would guess that there are at least five amazing ones. My throat has been bothering me for weeks. I went to the doctor 10 days ago. He didn't do a throat culture because it was, quite literally, right before a seven-day holiday and the labs would be shutting down for the first two days.
He gave me a referral for the nurses, instructing them to do a throat culture, and he gave me instructions to come in during the holiday, if my throat still hurts. It did; I didn't.
So I went back today, having, of course, lost the referral somewhere along the way. The nurse printed it out, took the throat culture, and insisted on taking my blood pressure as well. She wasn't able to get me in to see the doctor immediately, but made an appointment for the first available slot - an hour and twenty minutes later.
I walked out of her area and saw the doctor's door was open. From the doorway, I explained that I had an appointment in a bit over an hour. Before I'd even finished, he told me to come in and close the door. He looked; did another throat culture, and then gave me the prescription for antibiotics that I would need if the culture comes back positive.
I then walked out of the doctor's offices to the pharmacy, conveniently located right next door. For all of $4.00 or so, I walked out with a box of penicillin. Mission accomplished.
Two summers ago, I had a long-running fever. It took a bit of testing, but again, I was diagnosed with a serious virus and checked thoroughly. Sometimes it takes time, but the doctors keep trying. I saw an infectious diseases doctor. I was given tests to make sure that my heart was okay. I went to the emergency medical center and back and forth to the doctors many times both during the summer and the difficult winter that followed (which included two bouts of pneumonia). And for all that care, I paid standards costs - a few hundred shekels for visits (which cost a bit over $1 per visit), and various medications.
Four summers ago, I fell as I was walking down a gentle slope with shoes that had no traction (and yes, that's what you get for buying cheap shoes, sometimes). My hip and elbow were bruised but fine; but because my elbow chose to shift and not break, my shoulder was badly damaged, a muscle torn almost completely.
It took a while to figure out that's what it was, but once they understood, I got an appointment with a renowned expert whose name is nothing less than the first name doctors think of when dealing with a shoulder industry. That he turned out to be amazingly knowledgeable AND an amazingly nice person made the whole nightmare manageable. I stayed overnight in the hospital, had excellent care, and paid not a shekel.
Sometimes they miss. Sometimes they make mistakes. But they care, they try.
I wouldn't trade Israel's medical system for anything. It could be better...what can't be? I know people with serious medical issues who feel the coverage doesn't meet their needs, but from infancy through senior years, Israel's medical system is a shining success story. We have some of the finest birth centers in the world. My father was recently in a rehabilitation that focuses on treating geriatric patients. From all over the Middle East, they come here to Israel...and we take our resources, our knowledge, our trained professionals all over the world when disaster strikes.
Such a thankfully simple thing like a possible case of strep throat and yet a reminder that in a region where hundreds of thousands go without medical care at even the most basic levels, we have an advanced and dynamic system in place.
It's a day...everyday is a day...to be proud of being Israeli.
I agree with every word you wrote. I have an amazing family physician and had a different superb doctor who won the Kuzari Prize (Israel's top prize in medicine) years ago when my children were young. He was offered elite jobs throughout the country, but like me, adores Netivot so here he remains. I feel so blessed to live here with such superb medical care!Thank you Hashem for letting me live in this nation among these wonderful people!!
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