doctor

Jake · Post by **Jake** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:57 am

I have heard by some people that the health service is excellent. Some of the doctors are apparently very good. I had one recommended to me at Lagoa. I think the service depends on which doctor you get and where you go and the service also depends on where you go. Some Centro de Saudes are a lot less busy.

I, very fortunately, haven't had to use the health service as yet.

J

Lesley Jean · Post by **Lesley Jean** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 1:13 pm

Francien, the blood test are for my daughter who is being treated in UK under private medical insurance, I will have to check and see if they would pay for her blood tests abroad, hadn't really thought about it to be honest. You get so used to having to pay up for an treatments that it becomes the norm.

Kteee, thanks for the times and phone no. for Dr Vieira.

Francien · Post by **Francien** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:08 pm

If the health-insurance doesn't pay, there is always the travel-insurance?

peggy · Post by **peggy** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:12 am

what insurances pay in your own country, they also pay on holidays in another country.

Laurie · Post by **Laurie** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:20 am

Staying at Rocha Brava I needed a doctor. I showed the card of the clinic of dr.Viera (where I made the appointment) to the taxidriver, but he took me to the wrong place: the clinic of the german doctors nearby. Inside this clinic and after showing the card again they didn't tell me I came to the wrong place. They just told me to wait for the doctor. After sitting there for a while I had the feeling this wasn't the right place. I walked out and had another look around. I was happy to find the other clinic, what a friendly doctor! I wasn't pleased by the fact the the german clinic never said anything!

Lesley Jean · Post by **Lesley Jean** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:39 pm

Our medical insurance will only pay for emergency treatment while my daughter is abroad, not for routine things like check ups and blood tests. The travel Insurance will not cover her for her condition, so I can not claim through either of them for 'routine' procedures.

Most general doctors don't know enough about it to be able to give any real help.

This is why we tend to go private in Portugal.

Francien · Post by **Francien** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 2:27 pm

What sort of bloodtests are they?

Lesley Jean · Post by **Lesley Jean** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 5:07 pm

Full works every two weeks!

Francien · Post by **Francien** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 5:33 pm

Lesley Jean wrote: Full works every two weeks!

sorry, don't really know what you mean. Is it tests for sugar or something like that?

Lesley Jean · Post by **Lesley Jean** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 8:58 am

No it is full blood count, white cells, main organ response...liver, kindneys, etc. anaemia, iron levels, protein levels, basically the full works to check the whole body function.

steve · Post by **steve** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 12:04 pm

If your daughter is resident here and has a medical card it might be worth paying for a private consultation with a GP at say the Lagoa Clinic and getting a referral for blood tests under the Portuguese health service.

I have done this since it is impossible to get a family doctor in CVO/Lagoa and the Health Centres are more geared to walk-in quick treatments rather than anything serious and ongoing. I obviously had to pay the doctor's fee but seeing the same doctor each time does enable some sort of patient history to be built up and the Health Service charges for the blood tests were only a fraction of the full cost as a private patient.

I find the line taken by your private health company a little strange since they would presumably have had to pay for the tests in the UK and the costs here are certainly lower in my experience. The company I use will reimburse me for my expenditure here but unlike in the UK will not meet the bills direct so I have to pay up and wait for a claim to be processed. I assume however that you have taken the matter as far as you can.

I hope things work out well for your daughter.

Francien · Post by **Francien** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 12:47 pm

the hospital in Portimao is also a good adress.

Ellie · Post by **Ellie** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 1:26 pm

Lesley Jean wrote: No it is full blood count, white cells, main organ response...liver, kindneys, etc. anaemia, iron levels, protein levels, basically the full works to check the whole body function.

Sorry to here about that Lesley..do hope all will be well...elliex

Lesley Jean · Post by **Lesley Jean** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 9:25 am

Thanks Ellie, I am afraid that all this is a bit irrelevant now, we have had to postpone our holiday as youngest has now got to go in for her third operation in five years. Hopefully this will allow her to finish her Uni and get her degree. We will take things from there. Hopefully we will be out in August now after the op. so that she gets some rest and sun to help recover before going back to Uni in September. Hard being a Mum sometimes, I dont know how she is so strong.

Still we will probably need the blood test while out there because of the medication they will put her on.

Steve, I am still in talks with the insurance company, but they say that they will only cover emergency treatment while abroad not rutine. So don't think I am going to be very lucky with that one. Can't take out an travel insurance without declaring her illness, then they exclude it. So where do you go.

Lesley Jean · Post by **Lesley Jean** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 9:29 am

Thanks Francien, we have had to use the hospital in Alvoe before as about three years ago while on holiday my husband had a bad bout of Malaria, he spent most of the holiday in the hospital, and I spent most of mine trying to drive along the N125 (before the motorway was built) to see him each day, ended up having to drive through Silves and back down towards Portimao and then on to Alvor, it was a nightmare.

Will look into the hospital in Portimao, thanks.