Also, we could not see who was at the gate. Our patio wraps around two sides of the house and we were on the wrong side to see who was there. It could be anyone: a friend, a neighbour, a street vendor, somebody wanting a donation for whatever purpose, somebody wanting to "share" their religion or whoever.
Nevertheless, Lance was somehow motivated to get off his butt and see who was ringing the bell. What then unfolded says a lot about the health care system in Costa Rica.
The person at the gate, whom I shall call "Doctor N" in respect for his privacy, flashed his credentials and identified himself as a doctor affiliated with EBAIS which is a foundation of the universal health care system in Costa Rica. He then began talking to Lance in Spanish using words which quickly surpassed Lance's ability to understand (and would also have surpassed my ability).
Our fluency in Spanish is limited. When this kind of situation occurs, our normal reply is to say "Lo siento, mi español es malo" (I am sorry, my Spanish is bad) or "Lo siento, mi español es muy pobre" (I am sorry, my Spanish is very poor). When Lance said one or the other of these phrases, Doctor N immediately switched to very fluent English.
He explained that somebody nearby in our neighbourhood had come down with dengue fever. This is a potentially serious malady spread by mosquitos. He indicated that he and some colleagues had been tasked with visiting every household in the neighbourhood to determine first and foremost whether everybody including ourselves were OK, then to warn about the situation, and to advise to get rid of any areas around our households where water might collect and provide a breeding ground for the culprit mosquitos.
This was all taking some time and motivated me to get off my own butt, go to the gate, and see what Lance and Doctor N were talking about. I decided that my first task was to unlock and open the gate to create a more conversational atmosphere. Lance was asking questions and further discussion ensued.
Turned out that Doctor N is a U.S. citizen from Arizona. If I understood correctly, he is presently practicing as part of an intern program in Costa Rica. But his ultimate objective is to return to the U.S. or perhaps Canada and establish a general practice. In the case of the U.S., he indicated that the only prerequisite for admission to practice once he was done in Costa Rica would be to pass some sort of exam. He did not indicate what prerequisite might be required in the case of Canada. But it appears that the bar may be very low at the present time: see "How to immigrate to Canada as a doctor". This is definitely not to suggest that Doctor N is looking for a low bar.
Doctor N was very conscientious. Now in my presence, he repeated his question to Lance. Is everybody OK? I could not resist complaining about my gimpy left knee with the damaged tendon. He was happy to have a look at it and gave me the same advice and treatment suggestions as I am getting from my orthopaedic doctor. His colleagues standing at the top of the driveway began to shout that it was time to move on. A free consult! Plus, he was young and cute with great teeth.
Click here to read an article (in Spanish, unless you have a translator on your computer or other device) that further serves as a typical example of the Costa Rican health care system. On November 7, a specialized transport team left Costa Rica for Panama to airlift an elderly Costa Rican with a broken hip. On board were an emergency specialist doctor, a respiratory therapist and a nurse. I wonder if the Canadian health care system would airlift me from Costa Rica if I had a broken hip …. nah.
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