Couldn't resist the temptation to one-up my last post. Check out this HEAT!
In other news, I had my first experience receiving medical care here. It was just a sore throat, so probably the least threatening thing I could possibly go in for, but all went well. It's interesting the way that insurance plans work here--from what I understand, they almost all only cover hospitalizations, so any outpatient visits and prescriptions are all paid out-of-pocket. By US standards, those things are very cheap. My office visit was $18 and my prescriptions were about $1.50. I went to one of the nice private hospitals, but one of the big problems with health care here is that "doctors" will open clinics without actually having any qualifications. I think the problem is worse in rural areas than in big cities like Delhi. But, still, it's best to go to a hospital or follow a recommendation from a friend, because not every sign that says "doctor" means there is someone who has actually gone to medical school! This unregulated private sector is definitely one of the big challenges with the health system in India that needs to be addressed.
In other news, I had my first experience receiving medical care here. It was just a sore throat, so probably the least threatening thing I could possibly go in for, but all went well. It's interesting the way that insurance plans work here--from what I understand, they almost all only cover hospitalizations, so any outpatient visits and prescriptions are all paid out-of-pocket. By US standards, those things are very cheap. My office visit was $18 and my prescriptions were about $1.50. I went to one of the nice private hospitals, but one of the big problems with health care here is that "doctors" will open clinics without actually having any qualifications. I think the problem is worse in rural areas than in big cities like Delhi. But, still, it's best to go to a hospital or follow a recommendation from a friend, because not every sign that says "doctor" means there is someone who has actually gone to medical school! This unregulated private sector is definitely one of the big challenges with the health system in India that needs to be addressed.
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