[wrewsTear]

a lesson to all of us here: HEALTH INSURANCE. it is a must, really.
and a word of warning: theoretically insurance covers emergencies 100% (up to a certain amount, that may be very small). but what happens is that insurance companies look to getting away from paying ("you had this accident intentionally, you!") and the hospitals look for charging you as much as possible (see the 200.000 pesos in this case).
even in the emergency one pays for EVERYTHING: gasa and bandages, each and every medicine, syringes, catheters, IVs, you name it. and, as can be seen here: sometimes one has to wait. so beware. if NOT an emergency do not use this clause, go directly to the specialist.

[wrewsTear]

if he has a normal insurance he can go to a private hospital. hell, he can go even without the insurance if someone else is picking up the bill. expect about 2000 dollars, maybe more.

[GrottereewNus]

As far as I know,my mother told me that the doctor already told my uncle that his days in the P.N.
are finished.And yes,the second day he was been given antibiotics,go figure .I could just see how he was probably picked up,thrown on a pick up truck,without applying and keeping traction to the femur.......

That's not good, if they left his ankle unattended for days then there is a high chance infection gets into the bone, and once that happens it's goodbye leg. This is really sad, for someone with so many years under his belt he deserves better. I really hope through all this waiting he is being dosed with antibiotics, hell they could have fixed this in a couple of hours anywhere else. they normally open a femur break straight up to check for internal bleeding, I expect they know what they are doing but sounds like this guys future is being diced with.
i hope it comes good, and in time or his working days could be over.

[XinordiX]

Approximately 12 days ago,my uncle was 20 minutes away from getting off his shift,the night shift,this particular day.He was summoned to go pick up and transport a prisoner to another location.He's a policia nacional teniente in his 20th something year of service.Usually he patrols around in a sub,but that day it was out of service,so they gave him and his subordinate one of those dirt bike looking moto.On San Isidro autopista,they decided to return to the precinct because the bike didn't have a working headlight.Picked up another moto,now back on San Isidro,a young man,pulls out of a Cabana,they hit head on.The subordinate got a lil scrapped off,but my uncle suffered a femur fracture and a compound fracture to one of his ankle(bone protuding out of the skin ).He was taking to Dario contreras,where they had no beds,later transfer to RADIO Patrulla hospital(suppossesly just for policias) Now you would think,femur fracture=emergency medicine,civil servant=let's take care of this guy.Not in Santo Domingo.Two days go by,no surgery.My mother speaks directly to the surgeon long distance from here.Surgeon states,that they have a Major with fractured skull that arrived prior to my uncle,and he's still waiting.More days go by.Now they claim,that they have to find specials insert screws before they perform surgery.After that,they have to wait,until the skin on his ankle heals some more before they operate on the femur.Today,they said that they can't perform the surgery because he's anemic,so now he needs a blood transfusion. The kid's father offered to pay for everything in retur for his boy not going to jail,so obviously money is not a problem,what gives?

Now,you would think,the institution(national police)would pay for everything.The insurance that he gets thru his job,is giving him the run around.We shouldn't compare but,had this been in NY,this is how it would have happenned.He would have been in an ambulance with emts and paramedic in 7 minutes,hospital would have been notified of a incoming patient and extent of injury.His mother would've been picked up by a state trooper and brought to the hospital and the police commish,would have showed his face at least for a few minutes.Maybe one day.......

I had to give first aid two days ago to a victim of a compound complicated fracture of the hand and wrist.
The man had two surgeries in a few days, of course not located in the DR.
There is a high risk of infection and complication with such a long wait.
There could be nerve damage and a prolonged healing process.
For the average citizen medical care is poor.

[illilmicy]

Thanks cobra,AlterEgo,but according to my mother,its a military hospital,so they only allow their own in,but she's still gonna call to be sure.Thanks all for your compassionate thoughts.I'm not saying that my uncle was a stand up member of the P.N. but believe it or not,there is actually good cops in the DR,that are honest and are everyday on the grind,putting their lives in danger for others,for a diminutive salary.When you drive by and see one of those guy in the moto,while you sleeping,that guy is working,while you have weekends and holidays off,he's working,but most of all,that guy,might be one of the few good ones left in DR,so don't look at all of them with same eye please.It's hard not to with the latest array of news.

T
That says it for me. The fact of 20 yrs. on the force and still on patrol demonstrates his caring and unwillingness to be part of a corrupt, always on the take cop. He is probably one of the few you go by and feel respect for. You can sense it.
Indeed this is very sad!!! I was of the impression that cops with serious injurys automatically were taken to Plaza de Salud. There is some type of default thing about Conteras. My wife had good ins. and woke the next afternoon after an accident in a hallway in Conteras. Shameful yes, understandable for the DR ,yes. But a cop!!! Similar story. After they were told my wife had ins. with Humano, the docs at Conteras recommended Clinica Integral II. After paying for ambulance transport there, They told her they couldn't help her. I was here in the states. Had her brothers arrange another transport to Plaza de Salud. At PS she was told the necessary op could not be done there and wheeled her over to CEDIMAT. After the op and afew days intensive care the RD250,000 ins. limit with Humano was shot!!! In retrospect, I believe once the dollars started rolling in she became a hostage at PS and all the time in the bed made things worse. It turned into a long harrowing and VERY EXPENSIVE ordeal. After this experience I reccomend this: if you have the finances, have him transported to Clinica Abreu (it's on the internet). They deal with the US Consulate, have a very good reputation, and will be more straight forward and far easier to arrange payments. Transport should be about RD7000. We are talking leg and ankle wounds, not head and neck stuff (totally bogus for him not to be moved). If you don't have the finances try the public hospital Martin (sp. or name is similar). My wife felt she got great service and great docs. there. Best of all to your UNC and family.

[PoideAdelereX]

And you want to know why they are on the take so easily???

Jesus! This is a really sad case!!

Sorry to have to read this...

Best of luck to him and the family.

HB

[GrottereewNus]

I would assume so,but if he's having trouble with his health insurance.....who knows.At least he's alive you know,he has three children,oldest is 12.

[gyjsdtuwr]

Sorry to hear this. Try contacting an orthopedic surgeon in a private hospital/clinic and have him arrange a transfer to his facility ASAP. Worry about the money later. It's a shame that his treatment hasn't been better. Thank your Uncle for his service and send him all my best, one brother to another.

[GrottereewNus]

I just spoke to my mother,she said they doctor's are saying he shouldn't be moved at all,so I guess that takes the transfer out of the equation.Thanks for your service as well.

Sorry to hear this. Try contacting an orthopedic surgeon in a private hospital/clinic and have him arrange a transfer to his facility ASAP. Worry about the money later. It's a shame that his treatment hasn't been better. Thank your Uncle for his service and send him all my best, one brother to another.

[GrottereewNus]

2000 USD? no papi,the first day they were billing him for 200,000 pesos,for what? I don't know.

[yasmin]

nycdad, have someone get in touch with Dr. Alfredo Guerrero Krantz, Ortopédico & Traumatólogo, in Santo Domingo.

A friend of mine who lives in SD [with a medical background from NYC] swears he's fabulous.

[GrottereewNus]

I was wondering if he would have went to ...let's say,Clinica Abreu,had the outcome been different.

[Nwxffgke]

You mention "Officer Down" in the States and everyone goes on high alert.

That really is a shame about your uncle, really unbelievable.
I hope he gets the attention he needs.

[GutleNus]

As far as I know,my mother told me that the doctor already told my uncle that his days in the P.N.
are finished.

Don't laugh at this but will he get a disabilty pension after this? I know I know, but you never know.

[Ygd2qr8k]

I would agree that transfer is definately in order. The standard of care in the US for open fractures is immediate (within 6 hours) surgical cleansing and debridement of the wound and insertion of a drain, in the operating room along with IV antibiotics. The femur fracture would have been reduced at tge same time by insertion of a rod into the canal under flouroscopy. This is a common injury in every trauma center. To delay surgery by days is risking life and limb. Once sepsis occurs, loss of the limb will be the only way to save life. If necessary, hire a doctor to assist in the transfer. Don' t wait for things to go sour.