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To the hospital in Goa

In my previous posts, I told the story of how our daughter got sick on the plane to Mumbai, and then continued to be sick on the Konkan Express. Today the story continues.

When we arrived with the train in Goa, we took a taxi to the hotel. It had been a rough night, with Amelia sick, and we weren’t happy. We were giving her ear medication, but it didn’t seem to be helping. So we decided to go to the hospital.

The hotel owner recommended a hospital in the nearby city Mapusa, so we took a taxi there. We found it, and waited a while to see the doctor.

This doctor was much better. She was a regular pediatrician (not an ear specialist), and she checked Amelia out. She used the same plastic flashlight as the doctor in Mumbia, but we felt much more reassured with her. She prescribed some medication (the same stuff that our doctor in Belgium used to prescribe), and she said Amelia should get better within a few days. She also explained that the specialist was only available on certain days, and we could see him in 3 days. OK. The doctor visit was pretty cheap btw, about 10 US$ for the doctor and another 10 for the medication. I never filed the insurance papers back in Belgium because it wasn’t even worth it.

I was quite pleased with this hospital and the doctor. They were pretty good, friendly, and instilled confidence, and I’d go there again. I think part of the fear of taking your kids to a hospital in a foreign country is just that, fear. And shock when things are different than back home. But all in all it was pretty alright.

Looking back, we actually waited too long to take her to the hospital. If we’d gone in Mumbai, to a specialist, she would have gotten the right medicine sooner. But we were afraid, and hoped it wasn’t so bad and it would just get better by itself. Lesson learnt: with kids, go to the doctor sooner rather than later, even if you’re a little afraid to do that in a foreign country.

In fact, later, I saw loads of foreigners in Goa who obviously had made the same mistake. Backpackers with cheap bandages, or wounds (mostly from bike accidents) that were badly taken care of. All this because they wouldn’t go to a hospital in India. Dumb.

Amelia in the hotel being cute:

On the way to the hospital in Mapusa.

More cuteness, this time in Arambol:

We felt better now, and got some rest in the hotel. Amelia took the medication, and was getting a little better but still had fever after a few days. So we made another appointment to visit the specialist. He was a rather annoying man, who made us wait a long time, but he checked her ears out (this time with something more specialized than a plastic flashlight) and said her ears were still very infected. So he upped the dosage of the medication. A few days later still, and Amelia was much better and healed.

The hospital that was recommended to us as the best in north Goa was the Vintage Hospital (http://www.vintage3.com, 6644401 or 6644405). The pediatrician that we saw that we liked a lot was called Dr. Pinky Paliencar. The cost of a visit btw was about 300 rupees (US$ 8). There's a pharmacy next to the hospital where they can get you the prescriptions. We had to wait about an hour before seeing the doctor in each case.

So next I’ll be able to relate happier tales, of our holiday in Goa. Here are my lessons learnt so far:

Take medication on the plane.
When traveling with kids, use the help that’s there (like porters).
When traveling with kids, go to the doctor sooner rather than later, even if you’re a little afraid to do that in a foreign country.

Next, the story of our holiday in Goa.

By Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) on May 5, 2009, 03:34 in India Talkzone.

kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on May 5, 2009, 07:47:

aww she is so cute, i am glad she got better and all of you could enjoy the holidays :))

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babygirl says on May 5, 2009, 19:40:

So glad things worked out well with the ear infection! What a nightmare for you guys.

Love your stories... keep 'em coming Peter.

PS: Amelia is such a little honey! I adore her curls.

"Are you too good for your home?", Happy Gilmore.Canadian Girls Kick Ass!

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budlyboys says on Jun 2, 2009, 13:07:

goa hospital is very useful=========
doctors are exprienced............
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