Are there American-trained doctors in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?
Daniel Snider - Snider's Realty Nicaragua
There are a few American-trained doctors in San Juan Del Sur that I know of, but I do not know if those doctors are there full time. I know that every few months there are doctors who come from the US and do social work or put up personal clinics here. Personally, in San Juan Del Sur for several years, I or even my friends have never been attended to by an American-trained doctor. I have had my fair share of accidents and cuts and was usually attended by a Nicaraguan physician.
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There are a few American-trained doctors in San Juan Del Sur that I know of, but I do not know if those doctors are there full time. I know that every few months there are doctors who come from the US and do social work or put up personal clinics here. Personally, in San Juan Del Sur for several years, I or even my friends have never been attended to by an American-trained doctor. I have had my fair share of accidents and cuts and was usually attended by a Nicaraguan physician.
If you want to be treated by an American-trained doctor, you would probably have to go to Rivas (20 minutes away by car) or go to Managua to Hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas, which is about 2 hours away from San Juan Del Sur by car.
Hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas is a high end, first rate, world-class hospital with state-of-the-art equipment. They have all kinds of specialists and most of these doctors were trained outside of Nicaragua. Definitely some of them were trained in the US.
If you have some type of a long term illness, the best thing that I can recommend is to develop a relationship with a doctor in Managua.
If you want to be treated by an American-trained doctor, you would probably have to go to Rivas (20 minutes away by car) or go to Managua to Hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas, which is about 2 hours away from San Juan Del Sur by car.
Hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas is a high end, first rate, world-class hospital with state-of-the-art equipment. They have all kinds of specialists and most of these doctors were trained outside of Nicaragua. Definitely some of them were trained in the US.
If you have some type of a long term illness, the best thing that I can recommend is to develop a relationship with a doctor in Managua.
Posted September 11, 2014
Blue van Doorninck - Rancho Chilamate Horseback Adventures & Guest Ranch
It does not really concern me that there is no North American standard hospitals available here in San Juan Del Sur because there is a new ambulance service between San Juan and Rivas (less than a half an hour away) brought to us by the country of Luxembourg. That has been great because just on a side note there used to be no ambulances here.
Now, in the event of an extreme emergency such as someone having a heart attack or some kind of accident, you can actually make a...
It does not really concern me that there is no North American standard hospitals available here in San Juan Del Sur because there is a new ambulance service between San Juan and Rivas (less than a half an hour away) brought to us by the country of Luxembourg. That has been great because just on a side note there used to be no ambulances here.
Now, in the event of an extreme emergency such as someone having a heart attack or some kind of accident, you can actually make a call and have an ambulance pick you up from where you are and take you to the Centro de Salud in San Juan del Sur to get you stabilized. Then they will take you to the public hospital in Rivas.
Posted October 3, 2014
Lance Moss - Surfari Charters
The healthcare has gotten a lot better in Nicaragua in the past 10 years. The Pellas family is one of the biggest families in Nicaragua and they started a hospital called the Vivian Pellas Hospital in Managua. Most of the doctors there studied in the US and that’s kind of been incredible for us. I figure in the next 6 months they’re going to finish the second section of the hospital, which is bigger than the first part of it.We feel really confident in that...
The healthcare has gotten a lot better in Nicaragua in the past 10 years. The Pellas family is one of the biggest families in Nicaragua and they started a hospital called the Vivian Pellas Hospital in Managua. Most of the doctors there studied in the US and that’s kind of been incredible for us. I figure in the next 6 months they’re going to finish the second section of the hospital, which is bigger than the first part of it.We feel really confident in that hospital. We had the birth of our son there a few weeks ago and everything was awesome. You can really have a personal relationship with the doctors there. All of the doctors we had we could text them or send them a WhatsApp message and they would get right back with us. This is really important for us because, in Popoyo (about an hour and a half from San Juan del Sur), we are two and a half hours from Managua, so it’s a pretty good hike to the hospital. We’ve really enjoyed the experience at the hospital. (San Juan del Sur is about two hours by car to Vivian Pellas Hospital in Managua.)
You pay your doctors directly in cash so it’s kind of mind boggling how easy the healthcare system can be when you take out the insurance companies and the lawyers. One of my friends got into a pretty bad motorcycle accident and there was a lot of reconstructive surgery, plastic surgery, and emergency care. After something like 45 days in intensive care, the whole thing came out to around US $11,000. In the States it would’ve been $100,000 plus.
Here, you pay the doctors in cash. You pay the hospital in cash. And it really works out for you. You’re paying what your deductible would’ve been in the States, but for the entire thing.
There’s not as many big hospitals in Nicaragua but the Vivian Pellas Hospital is really, really awesome. They taking really good care of us and you can definitely have a personal relationship with the doctors and you meet with them. I don’t know any doctor in the States who you can text and they’ll text you right back with the answer to your question. So that’s pretty neat.
(Baby Moss with grandfather in Popoyo near San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, pictured.)
Posted November 4, 2015
David Smith - Nicaragua Sotheby's International Realty
Yes, there are American-trained doctors and dentists in Nicaragua. More recently dentists who have been trained in the US and Mexico have opened, which is fantastic. I’m getting a bridge made and all my dental work in San Juan del Sur.
Relative to doctors, Dr. Galan is American trained and speaks English. You have to know who they are. They are private doctors. They’re not working in the Central Clinic, which is Nicaraguan government run.
... Yes, there are American-trained doctors and dentists in Nicaragua. More recently dentists who have been trained in the US and Mexico have opened, which is fantastic. I’m getting a bridge made and all my dental work in San Juan del Sur.
Relative to doctors, Dr. Galan is American trained and speaks English. You have to know who they are. They are private doctors. They’re not working in the Central Clinic, which is Nicaraguan government run.
For really serious medical issues, get yourself properly covered and on a schedule as you would at home. Go to Managua to Vivian Pellas Hospital, which is better than any First World hospital I’ve ever been to in in terms of quality of the care, the speed with which you are seen and taken care of, and the speed with which you get answers to any question you have. Blood work results are back to you within 20 minutes, posted online for you to see when you get home. The quality of care and how affordable it is at the Vivian Pellas Hospital is amazing.
The Vivian Pellas Hospital is about 2 hours from San Juan del Sur. Going to Managua is something that we do at least once a month; sometimes twice a month. There’s a WalMart now, CostCo, etc.; all the brands you need to get as you would at home. We go shopping and stock up on cleaning supplies and to get value for buying in bulk. All of that you can do in Managua. Often we go to the movies. We have a Galaxy movie theater in Managua now. In Managua I don’t do anything different than when I was going to Toronto. It’s just like going to Toronto. Beautiful, malls which are dangerous to visit and spend money. Luxury items are more expensive here.
Posted September 5, 2016
Gordon MacKay - InNicaNow.com
Here in San Juan del Sur, we have a chiropractor and a physiotherapist who are American-trained but there are no American-trained general practitioners in San Juan del Sur that I know of. There are only Cuban and Nicaraguan-trained doctors in San Juan del Sur. Healthcare in Nicaragua is a little different than healthcare in Canada or the United States. There are two healthcare systems here in Nicaragua: one is public and is free for...
Here in San Juan del Sur, we have a chiropractor and a physiotherapist who are American-trained but there are no American-trained general practitioners in San Juan del Sur that I know of. There are only Cuban and Nicaraguan-trained doctors in San Juan del Sur. Healthcare in Nicaragua is a little different than healthcare in Canada or the United States. There are two healthcare systems here in Nicaragua: one is public and is free for everyone, and the other one is private. With the public healthcare system, I can go to the local health center and it will cost me nothing to meet with the doctor to have any care that’s needed. For example, if I have an injury or if I need to get anything stitched up, that’s all free and not an issue. The facilities in the public healthcare system aren’t going to be as clean or as nice as what you’d be used to in North America, though.
If I had something a little more major that I wanted to get checked out, there are larger hospitals in Granada and Managua. The larger hospitals in Managua are probably better than most hospitals in North America, and they offer incredible service and low costs. As an expat in Nicaragua, I’m not at all concerned about not having adequate healthcare here. I’m from Canada so I’ve always had free healthcare.
A couple of months ago, I went down to the pharmacy here in San Juan del Sur that’s owned by a doctor because I’d had a sore throat for a few days. I walked in and said, “Hey, Francisco. What is this?” I open my mouth, he looks in and says, “That’s strep throat.” He asked his wife to get me some antibiotics and five minutes and $3 later I’m back on the streets with what I need to cover a strep throat. It’s just so easy most times.
That’s what everyone can expect here in San Juan del Sur. We’ve helped just about a hundred families in the last two years move to San Juan del Sur, and we would always introduce them to the doctor and to the pharmacy.
Almost every drug is over-the-counter here in San Juan del Sur. The few things that are prescription are usually heavy pain killers, but the doctor is there and he can meet with you in his clinic to get you fully checked out for $10. If it’s something simple like when I’m showing him a rash, he’ll just let me know what cream I need or what medicine I need to take. He’s always there for that.
Here in San Juan del Sur, I usually walk into a doctor’s clinic and walk out in two minutes and I have what I need. It’s phenomenal. In Canada, on the other hand, I might have to wait a week to make an appointment to go see my family doctor. If I had strep throat, it’s going to be so bad in a week that I’d probably have to go wait in the Emergency Room for a few hours to see a doctor. Although it’s not going to cost me anything in Canada, it’s going to cost me a day of my time. Here in San Juan del Sur, it’s going to cost me about two minutes of my time and almost nothing for medication.
(Pharmacist at Farmacia El Rosario, Granada, Nicaragua, pictured.)
Posted May 15, 2017