Antonius Vaessen
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2015-2016 VdlPlata - Sanabres
2016.Primitivo
2017 Salvador
2018 Norte (to Sobrado)
2019 Norte again
I was walking the Via the la Plata. After about 10 days I developed first signs of a blister. I put a plaster on it. When arriving in Valdesalor I saw that the blister was "open"
I am a diabetic, so for me it is important to be very carefull with my feet. So the next day I took the bus to Caceres. There I would go to a hospital/ centro de medico where they could put a bandage on my blister. At the first hospital, they said that I should go to their "urgencias" department around the corner. Getting there it was closed. I had to go to the next hospital, 2km further down the road. There they could help me.
They said I needed to go everyday to a hospital to change the bandage and give the blister rest. But I should go to the hospital where I was before. I stayed extra 2 days in Caceres and was taken good care of by the nurses.
I took a bus to Salamanca to stay there for a few days. I could not get in my hostel till half past 6 so I decided to go and look for a hospital or centro de salud to try and make an appointment for the day after. This became a Real Odyssee. First I went to a hospital that had very good reviews. These were correct, everything went very smooth, until after less than half an hour, the nurse asked me if I had a "private" health assurance. This was not the case, I should go to a "public healthcare" instititution ( I would expect that this kind of information would be on the internet or at the entrance of the hospital) They told me there were 2 other hospital a few km away. So there I go. At the first hospital they could/ would not help me. I should go to the universityhospital. Here they asked me for the first time in what hostal I was staying; (this seemed to be relevant information ( perhaps there are rules regarding the " distribution" of foreign patients)
At the universityhospital they send me to their "urgencias" department and there again they could not help me. They assured me that the San Juanhospital in the center would surely help me tomorrow. First thing in the morning I went there and you might guess it they send me to their Urgenciasdepartment which opened at three in the afternoon. A strange time for "urgent cases"
Anyway my sixth try in Salamanca was the right one. How healthcare in Spain is organised is still a mystery to me. I will conclude by mentioning that the care of the nurses was good, once I got inside the system.
After a few days in Salamanca I took the bus back to the Netherlands, I did not want to " hang around" on my own for more days
I am a diabetic, so for me it is important to be very carefull with my feet. So the next day I took the bus to Caceres. There I would go to a hospital/ centro de medico where they could put a bandage on my blister. At the first hospital, they said that I should go to their "urgencias" department around the corner. Getting there it was closed. I had to go to the next hospital, 2km further down the road. There they could help me.
They said I needed to go everyday to a hospital to change the bandage and give the blister rest. But I should go to the hospital where I was before. I stayed extra 2 days in Caceres and was taken good care of by the nurses.
I took a bus to Salamanca to stay there for a few days. I could not get in my hostel till half past 6 so I decided to go and look for a hospital or centro de salud to try and make an appointment for the day after. This became a Real Odyssee. First I went to a hospital that had very good reviews. These were correct, everything went very smooth, until after less than half an hour, the nurse asked me if I had a "private" health assurance. This was not the case, I should go to a "public healthcare" instititution ( I would expect that this kind of information would be on the internet or at the entrance of the hospital) They told me there were 2 other hospital a few km away. So there I go. At the first hospital they could/ would not help me. I should go to the universityhospital. Here they asked me for the first time in what hostal I was staying; (this seemed to be relevant information ( perhaps there are rules regarding the " distribution" of foreign patients)
At the universityhospital they send me to their "urgencias" department and there again they could not help me. They assured me that the San Juanhospital in the center would surely help me tomorrow. First thing in the morning I went there and you might guess it they send me to their Urgenciasdepartment which opened at three in the afternoon. A strange time for "urgent cases"
Anyway my sixth try in Salamanca was the right one. How healthcare in Spain is organised is still a mystery to me. I will conclude by mentioning that the care of the nurses was good, once I got inside the system.
After a few days in Salamanca I took the bus back to the Netherlands, I did not want to " hang around" on my own for more days
