Urgent care clinic in Santiago?

[lbpierce]

After walking 2.5 weeks on the Camino Frances, my normal mild to moderate eczema has become severe in some areas, including increased swelling in one hand. I am currently in Villamaior and plan to take a taxi in the morning to Santiago to get medical help. Does anyone know of a urgent care type of clinic that I can go to without a prior appointment? Thank you so much in advance.

 

[Pelegrin]

You can go to Urxencias Hospital Clinico de Santiago

 

[Pelegrin]

Adress: Rúa da Choupana s/n

 

[lbpierce]

You can go to Urxencias Hospital Clinico de Santiago

Muchas gracias!

 

[Pelegrin]

De nada.

 

[ivar]

You can also go here:
Hospital HM Rosaleda
+34 981 57 77 17

Hospital HM Rosaleda · Rúa de Santiago León de Caracas, 1, 15701 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña

★★☆☆☆ · General hospital

goo.gl

They are a private hospital, have an emergency room entrance down the side… less crowded than the public hospital. An emergency room visit with no insurance is usually less that €50 and they will write the prescription you need.

They should also have English speakers.. if that is an issue.
Good luck!

 

[lbpierce]

You can also go here:
Hospital HM Rosaleda
+34 981 57 77 17

Hospital HM Rosaleda · Rúa de Santiago León de Caracas, 1, 15701 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña

★★☆☆☆ · General hospital

goo.gl

They are a private hospital, have an emergency room entrance down the side… less crowded than the public hospital. An emergency room visit with no insurance is usually less that €50 and they will write the prescription you need.

They should also have English speakers.. if that is an issue.
Good luck!

Thanks so much, very helpful. Sounds ideal.

 

[Former member 49149]

Having suffered from eczema, I truly hope that you manage to get it under control. Isn't the forum great for help, when needed?

 

[trecile]

You can also go here:
Hospital HM Rosaleda
+34 981 57 77 17

Hospital HM Rosaleda · Rúa de Santiago León de Caracas, 1, 15701 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña

★★☆☆☆ · General hospital

goo.gl

They are a private hospital, have an emergency room entrance down the side… less crowded than the public hospital. An emergency room visit with no insurance is usually less that €50 and they will write the prescription you need.

They should also have English speakers.. if that is an issue.
Good luck!

I would recommend HM Rosaleda over the public hospital. I have been to both. At the private hospital you have the option of paying immediately with credit card, but the public hospital didn't have a way to accept payment at time of service (at least not in 2018). I had to wait to receive a bill from them after I returned home, and they would only accept payment via wire transfer from my bank, which added further expense.
It was also nice to have an English speaking liason person, rather than relying on my poor Spanish.

 

[ivar]

ohh...yes, eczema is something that I struggle with as well. Just as you know, you can get a 1% cream at any pharmacy with no prescription. Stronger than that, I think you would need a prescription.

 

[lbpierce]

Having suffered from eczema, I truly hope that you manage to get it under control. Isn't the forum great for help, when needed?

Thanks for your support. This forum is very valuable and I have always had the policy of making a donation for each Camino I have walked. This is my fifth Camino, and I actually tried to make a donation on my phone but it didn’t work so I will do it when I return home to Mexico.

 

[lbpierce]

I would recommend HM Rosaleda over the public hospital. I have been to both. At the private hospital you have the option of paying immediately with credit card, but the public hospital didn't have a way to accept payment at time of service (at least not in 2018). I had to wait to receive a bill from them after I returned home, and they would only accept payment via wire transfer from my bank, which added further expense.
It was also nice to have an English speaking liason person, rather than relying on my poor Spanish.

Thank you, I have a taxi scheduled for 9 AM in the morning to go direct to Hospital Rosaleda.

 

[lbpierce]

Thanks Ivar, I have a good steroid cream with me but we are beyond that at this point. Based on prior experience, I will likely need prednisone if I am going to get through the next six weeks of three different Caminos I am walking with my brother. All the best to you.

ohh...yes, eczema is something that I struggle with as well. Just as you know, you can get a 1% cream at any pharmacy with no prescription. Stronger than that, I think you would need a prescription.

 

[lbpierce]

I thought I would let you all know about my experience at Hospital HM Rosaleda today. When I arrived, the receptionist explained that they cost to see a doctor would be €75, which was fine with me. But then somehow they decided to switch me to the International department and the representative said that it would cost a minimum of €250 to be treated in the emergency room. And that it could be more than that. That sounded pretty steep to me so I decided to try getting prednisone over-the-counter at a pharmacy. I was able to do that and since this is the medication that got me through my last serious eczema flare, I feel confident that it will do the trick. Thank you all again for your suggestions and help.

 

[ivar]

I thought I would let you all know about my experience at Hospital HM Rosaleda today. When I arrived, the receptionist explained that they cost to see a doctor would be €75, which was fine with me. But then somehow they decided to switch me to the International department and the representative said that it would cost a minimum of €250 to be treated in the emergency room. And that it could be more than that. That sounded pretty steep to me so I decided to try getting prednisone over-the-counter at a pharmacy. I was able to do that and since this is the medication that got me through my last serious eczema flare, I feel confident that it will do the trick. Thank you all again for your suggestions and help.

Ohh.. yes that was a bit more than I thought. Good that it seems it sorted itself at least.

 

[trecile]

I thought I would let you all know about my experience at Hospital HM Rosaleda today. When I arrived, the receptionist explained that they cost to see a doctor would be €75, which was fine with me. But then somehow they decided to switch me to the International department and the representative said that it would cost a minimum of €250 to be treated in the emergency room. And that it could be more than that. That sounded pretty steep to me so I decided to try getting prednisone over-the-counter at a pharmacy. I was able to do that and since this is the medication that got me through my last serious eczema flare, I feel confident that it will do the trick. Thank you all again for your suggestions and help.

I'm glad that you found a low cost solution.
For me, the higher cost was fine because my insurance reimbursed me.

 

[Iriebabel]

I thought I would let you all know about my experience at Hospital HM Rosaleda today. When I arrived, the receptionist explained that they cost to see a doctor would be €75, which was fine with me. But then somehow they decided to switch me to the International department and the representative said that it would cost a minimum of €250 to be treated in the emergency room. And that it could be more than that. That sounded pretty steep to me so I decided to try getting prednisone over-the-counter at a pharmacy. I was able to do that and since this is the medication that got me through my last serious eczema flare, I feel confident that it will do the trick. Thank you all again for your suggestions and help.

As a side note if you do have to seek the emergency help hopefully you can file with your travel medical insurance and get some if not all this cost back . I usually get travel insurance which acts as primary payer and usually they will pay direct to the hospital /doctor …good luck hope you feel better
Buen Camino

 

[lbpierce]

The options for medical travel insurance for residents of Mexico over the age of 70, such as myself, are pretty poor. I always get MedJet insurance that will fly me back to a Mexico hospital for any reason if I am hospitalized but I pay for smaller items out of pocket.

 

[Iriebabel]

The options for medical travel insurance for residents of Mexico over the age of 70, such as myself, are pretty poor. I always get MedJet insurance that will fly me back to a Mexico hospital for any reason if I am hospitalized but I pay for smaller items out of pocket.

Try to do a search on here I know recently @peregrina2000 did a recent thread for insurance on squaremouth.com And she found a good annual policy. If I find the thread i will add it here

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/travel-insurance-for-us-travelers-over-70.70671

 

[lbpierce]

Try to do a search on here I know recently @peregrina2000 did a recent thread for insurance on squaremouth.com And she found a good annual policy. If I find the thread i will add it here

Yes I am familiar with squaremouth but most of the policies they list require US residency which I don’t have. But thank you for the suggestion.

 

[Iriebabel]

Yes I am familiar with squaremouth but most of the policies they list require US residency which I don’t have. But thank you for the suggestion.

That’s a shame but if you read thru the thread you might get some other options. Some other members offered some good suggestions. Not sure if it applies to Mexican citizens but worth a try ..good luck hope you feel better

 

[Wanderingfriend]

After walking 2.5 weeks on the Camino Frances, my normal mild to moderate eczema has become severe in some areas, including increased swelling in one hand. I am currently in Villamaior and plan to take a taxi in the morning to Santiago to get medical help. Does anyone know of a urgent care type of clinic that I can go to without a prior appointment? Thank you so much in advance.

I just love this group! Immediate help. All the best as you get treatment.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

You can also go here:
Hospital HM Rosaleda
+34 981 57 77 17

Hospital HM Rosaleda · Rúa de Santiago León de Caracas, 1, 15701 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña

★★☆☆☆ · General hospital

goo.gl

They are a private hospital, have an emergency room entrance down the side… less crowded than the public hospital. An emergency room visit with no insurance is usually less that €50 and they will write the prescription you need.

They should also have English speakers.. if that is an issue.
Good luck!

This pricing is totally wrong information. I went there on May 22, 2022, and they said the It was €250 minimum to see someone, and then there would be additional charges if there was a prescription.
Perhaps you get a better price if you have a European Union residency? Because they asked me where I was from.

 

[ivar]

This pricing is totally wrong information. I went there on May 22, 2022, and they said the It was €250 minimum to see someone, and then there would be additional charges if there was a prescription.
Perhaps you get a better price if you have a European Union residency? Because they asked me where I was from.

I don’t think it matters. Was this in the agency room? (Down the side entrance)

 

[SabsP]

This pricing is totally wrong information. I went there on May 22, 2022, and they said the It was €250 minimum to see someone, and then there would be additional charges if there was a prescription.
Perhaps you get a better price if you have a European Union residency? Because they asked me where I was from.

Yes, the European Union residency is the difference here. Meanwhile , I hope you feel better.

For more information see this link about the EHIC.

European Health Insurance Card

The European Health Insurance Card makes it easier for people from the European Union’s 28 Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland to access health care services during temporary visits abroad.

ec.europa.eu

 

[Kathor1]

This pricing is totally wrong information. I went there on May 22, 2022, and they said the It was €250 minimum to see someone, and then there would be additional charges if there was a prescription. Perhaps you get a better price if you have a European Union residency? Because they asked me where I was from.

In post #14 of this thread, the original poster makes the same observation about her visit on August 11, 2021:

When I arrived, the receptionist explained that the cost to see a doctor would be €75, which was fine with me. But then somehow they decided to switch me to the International department and the representative said that it would cost a minimum of €250 to be treated in the emergency room. And that it could be more than that.​

It is not the European Union residency as such that makes the difference in charges but rather the fact whether an EU resident is insured and enrolled in a public health insurance system in their home country or not. The overwhelming majority of EU residents are enrolled in such national systems and are not even aware of such price differences, i.e. different charges for the same medical service by a private hospital or doctor, depending on how you are insured. (FWIW, there are EU residents who are not covered by an EHIC card, due to their specific occupational status or pensioner status, and they are covered by a separate health insurance system to which only they are entitled).

 

[Stephan the Painter]

@ivar @Kathar1na @SabineP
Well, the hospital surprise was my fault because I didn’t realize there were other old posts, which would’ve better informed me.

Yes it was in the emergency room on the side.

I knew about the differences in pricing structures if you have an EU reciprocal plan, but I assumed because it was a private hospital, it wouldn’t matter.

I explained my problem to a English-speaking person on the phone that the receptionist directed me to, and her first question was where I was from, and then the second question was if I had insurance. And then she told me the prices.

It seemed too expensive for me for something that I was going back-and-forth on whether I actually needed to see a doctor about. The possibility of a €50 price had enticed me.

But it’s clear that there is a different pricing structure for EU and non-EU residents.

It was an hour of my time to remind me to research better. Thanks.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

@Kathar1na @SabineP
And just as an aside, What is the difference from the hospital point of view?

Do they get a payment from some fund or the other country if an EU citizen with the appropriate insurance goes through the hospital To cover the cost differential?

And I can’t believe, in the “paradise of good affordable healthcare,“ that Europe it is to be, that my only choice if I want to go see a doctor for a minor check up and some questions, is to walk into a hospital emergency room. This is what they told me at the reception at my hotel as well. And this certainly isn’t an emergency.

It felt exactly like the United States, where the first questions are if you can pay. Your problems are secondary to that.

 

[Kathor1]

@Stephan the Painter, €250 for a consultation is a stiff price.

I am only vaguely familiar with habits in Spain. I know that there are private hospitals, public hospitals and health centres in Spain.

Where I live and where I had lived before, always in an EU country, it would never have occurred to me to go to a hospital emergency room on my own for a minor urgent treatment. I would contact my GP first or I would contact what we call "emergency doctors" which are GPs who are available on a rotation basis outside of normal hours. In Spain, I would probably go to the nearest health centre. Given what I am used to, I would expect to be transported to an ER in an ambulance, ie only when I am in a very serious health condition.

The healthcare systems in the various EU countries are quite different from each other as to who is how insured and who covers the total cost of a hospital stay or consultation at a hospital in the end. How much doctors can ask from their patients may depend on whether the patient is enrolled in a public health insurance system or a private health insurance system; both may be obligatory without an individual's choice between the two. This is different from an option that exists in some countries including Spain afaik: those enrolled in a public health insurance system can contract additional health insurance cover with an insurance company. It may be paradise but it is not a uniform paradise ...