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We don’t want to dwell on the negative – the chest pain suggesting a heart attack – the excruciating lower
abdominal paid suggesting a bursting appendix or pesky gall stones, or kidney stones trying to escape, or
perhaps the coming of a premature birth. But in the real world this stuff happens. Everyone is concerned
about health care, particularly the many foreigners here who are retirees. Health care is very important to them.
The good news is that Rosarito Beach is only 18 miles south of the border so getting to the USA for gringos to take
advantage of Medicare is easy. That is, of course, if you can drive, or have someone willing to drive for you.
But what if you can’t drive? What if you need an ambulance to drive you to the border? You can call the Mexican Red Cross,
or the Cruz Roja Mexicana! From Rosarito Beach dial 066. Make a note of it. The cost: approximately $100.00. They are
located on Rene Ortiz, just east of Benito Juarez Boulevard, across from the Banamex sign (a very prominent road sign in town).
They have a hospital there with an emergency room there if time is of the essence, and they will determine whether or not a trip
to the border is feasible. If it is, they’ll call ahead to have an ambulance meet you north of the border to deliver you to the
hospital of your choice.
A group of volunteers known as The Comite de Voluntarios de Rosarito (Red Cross Volunteers) generates funds to defray in part the costs of construction, equipment, maintenance, and operation of the Red Cross Hospital of Rosarito. They have about 600 members and operate a Thrift Shop, staffed by bilingual volunteers, located just east of Waldo’s $1 Mart on the corner of Benito Juarez and Lazaro Cardenez. They also solicit private donations, hold social events and collect dues from members. Last year they donated about $75,000.00 to the Cruz Roja Mexicana Hospital. For more information about the Red Cross Volunteers contact their President, Betsy Chambers, at 661-612-0743, or e-mail her at bajagrandma64@yahoo.com More good news is that opening day ceremonies, attended by President Fox, were held May 18th for a brand new general hospital just completed here. If you’d like to check it out, drive across the bridge eastbound from McDonald’s (another very prominent road sign) and take the first right, continue through the next intersection, then turn right again and there you will see, “Hospital General Playas de Rosarito,” or Rosarito Beach General Hospital. Right next to it is “Urgencia,” or Emergency. Another non-profit organization, BEMCC, was formed in 1976 by a group of Mexican and American professionals to establish a much needed system of international cooperation designed to help victims of auto accidents, fires, floods, and disease on both sides of the border. They can transport you across the border via ground ambulance if you are within 60 miles of the border area, or by air ambulance if you are beyond 60 miles. BEMCC stands for the Binational Emergency Medical Care Committee. They work very closely with the American Embassy and Consulates in Mexico, with Federal, State, and local authorities as well as with hospitals in Mexico. Membership is made up of physicians, social workers, lawyers, immigration officials, highway patrol officers, the Sheriff’s office, and the Fire Department. Their staff is fully bi-lingual and on call 24/7. To join BEMCC is only $30/yr. Members receive a Lifesaver Card to carry at all times. Information on the card will enable BEMCC to notify your relatives. You can join online at www.binationalemergency.org, or, if you’re in or near Chula Vista, drop by their office at 642 Third Avenue Suite H-1, telephone 619-425-5080. While you’re there you can meet their very personable and dedicated Executive Director, Celia Diaz. The first In-Home Care and Assisted Living company here is dedicated to Gringos living in Baja. INCARE gives you the option of recovering from illness or surgery in the comfort of your home. They are building a reputation for placing the finest companion, homemakers, Nursing Aides and Nurses to assist clients and their families with the special needs they may have. They look at balancing not only the client’s physical and emotional health needs, but also their values and preferences. Their professional care managers are experts who have the objectivity necessary to provide the right level of support and guidance. They take the time to understand the unique needs of the client and the client’s family, establishing a solid relationship in the process. This unique approach allows them to implement viable solutions that are sustainable and create peace of mind for all involved. Caregivers provide companionship and social accompaniment, transportation for errands and shopping, housekeeping and meal preparation, assistance with all personal needs, monitoring and medication reminders, care for patients who are wheelchair-dependent or bed-bound, consistent accurate communication regarding any changes that may occur, transportation across the border, and incontinence care. INCARE means premium care management and care giving services that combine honesty, reliability, and continuity. For more information visit their website at www.incarebaja.com or telephone them at 661-613-1251. Then there is Baja Medix. What if you need a doctor in the middle of the night? Can you call your doctor? Will he make a house call? In the middle of the night? What would house calls and ambulance service cost? Not as much as you think! Enter Baja Medix. We are extremely fortunate to have right here in Rosarito Beach Dr. Elias Perales Acevedo, bi-lingual and very personable, owner and operator of Baja Medix. He offers extremely affordable and quality primary care and ambulance service 24/7, 365 days of the year! You can contract with him for an annual agreement. Members enjoy office visits for as little as $5 and a house call for only $45. Ambulance service to the border is only $100. Baja Medix will call the patient’s doctor in the USA and will make arrangements for an ambulance to be met at the border. His clinic is located at Mar del Norte # 484. Driving south, pass the last stop sign which is at the entrance to the Rosarito Beach Hotel, then, at the following intersection (no stop sign there) turn left (east), then turn left again and you will be on Mar del Norte heading north. You will also be able to spot his ambulances. The clinic is on the right. Call his very able and bi-lingual administrator, Hector Camacho, at 01-661-612-1266 or 01-661-612-5850. He’ll be glad to go over the agreement with you. The cost? Only $165 per year! No, that’s not a typo. I’ll spell it. It’s only one hundred and sixty five dollars per year! A latino friend of mine and her daughter were breakfasting with me at La Casa de Desayuno recently. My friend needed a dentist for herself and an orthodontist for her daughter. She asked someone for a referral and was told to go to Plaza Ale and look for Dr. Westherberto Rodriguez P., which we did. We discovered he is both a dentist and an orthodontist. After a short wait my friend was able to see the doctor after which the doctor examined her daughter to see if braces were in order. As I waited a California couple was leaving and I engaged them in a conversation about the doctor. The husband has braces and they drive here every two weeks from Los Angeles to see this doctor. The wife is a dental patient and they both spoke very highly of the doctor. To get to Plaza Ale, proceed east from McDonalds over the bridge. You will see Commercial Mexicana to the left and City Hall to the right At the first signal light turn left and then make an immediate right. The doctor’s office is on the second floor. His Telnor telephone number is 612-6069 if dialing from Rosarito Beach, or 619-308-8327 if calling from the USA. I’m a retiree – a senior – a male. It’s not a matter of “if we get prostate problems” for us males – it’s a matter of “when.” No male can escape! I asked my general practitioner, Dr. Perales, of Baja Medix, of which I am a member (see Baja Medix, above) to recommend a urologist and he did. His name is Dr. Juan Antonio Ramirez Ortega and I am now a patient of his. He speaks excellent English. I highly recommend him. His office is in Tijuana and there is adequate secure parking nearby as well as a lab. You can see the new Angeles Hospital from his office on the Avenue of the Heroes. His contact information is: Condominio Plaza California, Jose Clemente Orozco No. 2340 Suite 407, Zona Rio, Tijuana, B.C. Dial 634-6202 if calling in Mexico or 011-52-664-634-6202 if dialing from the USA. His e-mail is dr_ramirezurology@yahoo.com.mx. His web site is www.lityen.com.mx. Be well! |