An Insight Into My Local Spanish Hospital (Hospital Universitario Los Arcos Del Mar Menor)

I have read several free newspapers where ex-pats have written letters about their bad experiences of hospitals here in Spain but I recently experienced the Accident and Emergency department of our local hospital (Hospital Universitario Los Arcos Del Mar Menor in San Javier, Murcia) myself and must say that I found it fantastic.

Within 5 minutes of registering my details at the main reception desk, I was seen by a triage nurse who took my blood pressure, temperature and general information about my symptoms and no more than 30 minutes later, I was examined by a doctor, put on a drip to rehydrate me and to stop the stomach pains, had blood taken which was sent for testing and was taken to the X-Ray department. I was finally taken to a mini ward to await the results.

A few hours later the results came back and the doctor gave me the diagnosis and then told me I could go home. She gave me a piece of paper with the diagnosis and a list of medication I needed to get and told to take this to my doctor. All in all, from registration to when I was discharged was 4 ½ hours which I thought was very quick considering all the tests and examinations carried out.

Several people I know have also been treated in the Accident and Emergency department of this hospital and have also experienced a very good standard of service from them.

My next post will give you an insight into what it’s like to be an in-patient.

New Year's Eve Spanish style

New Year's Eve (nochevieja) in Spain is a time for a partying just like in any other country in the world and it's also a time to spend with your family. There is an ancient tradition which dates back about 100 years and was started by some farmers who had too many grapes left after the harvest. They decided to eat 12 grapes, 1 at a time, each time the clock chimed at midnight. Since then, it's become a custom to do this and it's believed that if you don't, you will have bad luck for the next year.

All the Spanish TV stations show the same celebration which takes place in Puerta del Sol, Madrid. The presenters do a countdown (just before the actual chimes of the clock there are 4 higher pitched chimes which are known as “los cuatros” (the 4) and these announce the start of the actual chimes) and then everyone starts to eat the first grape, the next and so on at each of the chimes until all the 12 grapes have been eaten (often you're left with a mouthful of grapes as it's very hard to eat 12 grapes in such a short time). For each grape eaten it's believed to bring 1 month of good luck.

After eating the grapes, the parties start in earnest and often go on until about 6am. Even the children are allowed to stay up and celebrate as it's such a special time of year for the whole family.

To Queue Or Not To Queue-Spanish style

One of the first things we discovered when we moved out to Spain was that the Spanish people in general don't grasp the concept of a queue.
Many a time I've been waiting in the queue at the "correos" (post office) when someone will walk in and go straight up to the counter, ask a question (even while the cashier is serving someone) and they will then end up being served straight away! It's very frustrating at times, especially if you've been waiting patiently for a long time.  Our local post office has now introduced a ticket system to solve the problem but this isn't always successful. Quite often people do not bother to take a ticket or the cashier will advance the ticket number so quickly that, unless you are an athlete and can get to the cashier in 1 second flat, you've missed your turn and then it's panic stations as the person with the next number along is at the desk before you and you have to wait all over again!
Another funny thing we find is when you are waiting for your appointment at the doctors surgery. When the doctors' door opens for the next patient to go in, several people all head towards the door at the same time-just like a herd of stampeding cattle. When the doctor calls your name you have to fight your way through the crowds to get in, only to find that someone else has beaten you to it and, surprise surprise, they get seen and you have to wait until they come out even though it was your turn! Also, quite often, you'd go in and someone will follow you in and ask the doctor a question about a prescription or a problem they have while you sit there!
Whilst on the subject of of queuing at the doctors surgery, when you go to collect your repeat prescriptions from the receptionist it's always best to ask who is the last in the queue as quite often when you get to the desk, someone will jump up from a chair and go in front of you as they've been sitting down rather than stand waiting for a few minutes.
A friend recently had a rather embarrassing moment whilst waiting to see the receptionist. She'd been waiting quite a while and several people had done the usual "trick" of going up to the desk, asking a question and getting seen immediately. It was finally her turn when a lady went straight in front of her. My friend tapped her on the shoulder, told her in her best Spanish that she should get to the back of the queue and wait her turn, only to realise that it was her friends grandmother that she knew very well and she felt so embarrassed at the idea that the lady may have thought her rude, she promptly let her go in front of her!
After living here for 5 1/2 years you tend to get used to the quirks of the Spanish people. Who knows, in another 5 1/2 years I may have perfected the art of queue jumping myself!