What's your experience of healthcare in the North?

Pippie


Joined: 02/12/2009
Posts: 1288

Message Posted:
28/05/2010 20:50

Hi, I'm asking these questions on behalf of my mum and dad who are worried they may not be able to get insurance sorted before it's time to travel, cos of still waiting for test results. So, I'm hoping we might be able to alleviate some of their concerns:



In particular, is medical attention here as good as it is in the UK?

If you need hospital care but you haven't got insurance, can you walk in to the general hospital and receive free care, or if not, what are the costs like?

They've also asked, if there are heavy costs involved in doctor/hospital care here, what about walking over to the South with your E111 and getting free treatment over there - anyone know if that's an option and if so, is the care there any good?



Thanks for any advice.

mags111



Joined: 17/08/2008
Posts: 251

Message Posted:
28/05/2010 21:04

My experience of healthcare here has been 10/10! I visited the local Girne hospital when a rusty nail went in my leg. It cost 10TL and I was in and out with a tetanus in 6 minutes. The staff spoke English and they were very helpful.



I also visited Cyprus life Hospital in Lefkosa for an MOT recently which was 900 TL but worth every penny as they did every conceivable test from top to bottom. All blood tests were completed within a couple of hours and the hospital was spotlessly clean, staff and doctors were very friendly and professional and I was very impressed.



Are your mum and dad coming here to stay or just on hols???? Tell them not to worry!!! Its 10 times better than UK as far as Im concerned.

Pipie


Joined: 05/01/2008
Posts: 5499

Message Posted:
28/05/2010 21:14

This is so encouraging mags 111. Good info .cheers !!

AlsancakJack



Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 5762

Message Posted:
28/05/2010 21:20

Pippie



' They've also asked, if there are heavy costs involved in doctor/hospital care here, what about walking over to the South with your E111 and getting free treatment over there - anyone know if that's an option and if so, is the care there any good? '



You might find that you would need a residential address in the South to benefit from 'free' health care. Oh and by the way a EHIS card does not give you totally free health care, you may have to pay and claim back from your native EU member country.

AJ

RickF64


Joined: 07/01/2009
Posts: 173

Message Posted:
28/05/2010 22:04

I recently (and unfortunately) had to avail myself of the local A&E service in Girne General Hospital last Thursday evening. Could not fault the service or the staff. Speedy and efficient service, polite and capable staff, at least from what I recall being rather concussed at the tiime. After stitches, a Tetanus jab and a couple of hours observation, I was sent home with a prescription and the tender loving care of my dear wife,a retired nurse. Cost at the hospital? Zero.

Thank you Girne Hospital.



Had medical MOT at ETIK Hastanesi in Lefkosa last year. Very thorough and efficient, found out I had the remains of 'sand fly fever' lurking in my blood system, otherwise I was in good shape for my age. Cost? About 700TL and worth every kurus.

westender


Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 328

Message Posted:
28/05/2010 22:17

My husband had a bad bout of bronchitus. The doctors consultation, xray at a local clinic and all his medication cost 70tl. He got an appointment same day of asking, no waiting days for result of xray - were given it staight away by the clinic, back to the doctor who gave him a prescription there and then, over to the chemist and on the way home, done and dusted within an hour!

Pippie


Joined: 02/12/2009
Posts: 1288

Message Posted:
28/05/2010 22:19

Thanks everyone, I hope that'll put their mind at rest, and thanks for the tip about the South AJ, will keep that in mind

They're not staying (not yet anyhow!), will just be here on hols, though it is likely to be a couple of months hols.

scruff


Joined: 15/07/2008
Posts: 1070

Message Posted:
28/05/2010 22:24

You will have to pay for any medical treatment here other than emergency treatment for an accident. This is what the replies above are indicating. There is no NHS here & you will need to pay for any treatment, other than in an emergency. This is true regardless of whether you use the State hospitals or the private hospitals.

Forget getting free treatment in the South, regardless of whether you are an EU citizen, they do not have an NHS either.

If you lived in the South, were of State pension age & had a low income, you would be entiltled to some treatment on exactly the same basis as you would if you were a Greek Cypriot. Other than that, except in an emergency, then you will have to pay for any treatment you receive there.

Chelpet


Joined: 10/03/2010
Posts: 253

Message Posted:
28/05/2010 22:25

When we out there in March/April my wife slipped and sprained her ankle, we went to the local chemist who told us to go to hospital as he thought it may be fractured, we arrived at Girne hospital at 1815 we almost immediately saw the appraisal guy who sent her for an xray, we took xray back to doctor who checked it and said nothing broken, but he insisted on putting on a splint, this consisted of a plaster under her foot and up the back of her leg and load of support bandage, plus a pain killing injection, I was wandering around asking who I should pay and was told as it was an accident no payment, the crunch came when we went back on following Tuesday morning to have the splint removedthe hospital was mobbed and we would have been there all morning, so we took splint off ourselves, incidentley we left the hospital at 19.00, thats 3/4 s of an hour, with treatment and care you could not fault, I will say it looked as though the hospital could do with a bit of TLC and paint.

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
28/05/2010 23:30

Pippie. There is no way I would travel from the UK without insurance especially as you say they are waiting for hospital results, get them to ring Age Concern insurance they will tell them what they can get cover for there are certain conditions they will cover. If anything serious happens (hopefully it doesn't ) it could cost quite a lot, friends of our experienced this in Turkey. I had 3 day treatment for gallstones in Turkey hospital no operation cost £2000 Age Concern Ins paid no problem.

Suffolk



Joined: 31/08/2008
Posts: 222

Message Posted:
29/05/2010 13:06

Similarly we found the service at Girne hospital excellent when I had to use them at Easter. The cost was 10tl. I agree it could do with a bit of TLC and paint, but certainly cannot fault the staff and service we received.

kiwikid


Joined: 18/08/2008
Posts: 496

Message Posted:
29/05/2010 13:31

I Posted this last year, thought I would copy it for you.



My Father had a heart attack here last year, the ambulance arrive within 8 mins, they had a very well eqiuped bus. He was taken to Girne Hospital for about Ten mins it was then that they decided he should go to Lefkosa. By the time my self and step mother had arrived at the Lefkosa state hospital he was already in the opperating room getting two stents put in. All in All about 1 hour start to finish. We even have a DVD of the opperation. He was then kept in the new Cardo unit for 2 days before being moved to the main ward.



After returning to the Uk he was told by his doctor that it would have taken at least 3 weeks for the same treatment there.



I have nothing but praise for the ambulace service, girne Hospital and Lefkosa hospital, especailly the cardo unit.



Dr Erkut was also one of my fathers doctors.



My father is now doing great and feels like a new Man!!!



The whole treatment including after care was £12

Linnyloos


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 483

Message Posted:
29/05/2010 13:46

I too had excellent treatment when I had a car crash a few years ago. Ambulance took me straight to Girne hospital and I was xrayed immediately, stitched and had to stay the night there which included breakfast. Next morning I was released and told to come back in 5 days to have wound looked at. We were handed a bill for ALL treatment of £8 !!!



Couldn't believe it. Hospital could do with TLC and everyone in the 4 bedded room were sleeping fully clothed but.......excellent treatment. Couldn't fault it.



Linda

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
29/05/2010 14:53

Hospital treatment here is very good but please remember that after care is down to the family! Your patient will get fed but the rest is up to you as that is the way things are here. There is no problem with it and I "personally" find it refreshing that if your loved one is in the hospital then you get to provide the after care you know they want and not just leave them to the mercy of the food trolly and the heavy hands of the bed bath! Family care here is great. Can't fault the response times for any ambulance or for any staff in Girne hospital - just remember that there is a burly guard on the emergency side that will only let the patient in and nobody else till the doctors say's its ok. That can be a bit of a worry when your loved one is whisked away into the unknown but don't worry - they will be well looked after. As for payment - what would you pay to have your loved one back with you - that's how much it costs.

cyprusishome


Joined: 31/03/2007
Posts: 2381

Message Posted:
29/05/2010 14:58

Go anywhere without travel insurance and you are asking for trouble.



All of the above were fairly straight forward.



Friends mother fell and banged head, had a brain anurysm. Spent several days in hospital in Lefkosa before being taken to south side for brain surgery. Ultimatley an air ambulance back to UK where she is still in hospital five months later.



The cost - no idea because insurance company picked up the tab from first contact. That included hotel stay in south for family who were constantly at mothers side. Our own estimates were certainly tens of thousands of pounds.



The care given by all concerned, including insurance company was superb.



Insurance may be costly because of pre existing conditions but the cost of a major incident do not bear thinking about.

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
29/05/2010 17:18

cyprusishome. Agree with you, we get 12months insurance so even if we go on a coach trip in the UK we are covered £191 for the two of us covers all our pre existing conditions and we have 2 x 2 weeks in Turkey 4 weeks NC holidays.

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
29/05/2010 18:39

Cyprushome,

Dead right - never travel without insurance, not even in the UK! That may sound silly but you can either wait in the NHS que or jump into the same doctors office (when he is there as "The Specialist") depending on how much medical insurance you have with you.



I always used Insure and Go, quick and easy across the net plus a phonecall if you have problems - give it a try.

AnthonySmith


Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 455

Message Posted:
29/05/2010 19:11

Had two spells in hospital - Lefkosa and Girne state hospitals. Care reminded me of the 1970s in the UK - and no moans - but sufficiently basic. Language barrier was a difficulty and told I had cancer, gangrene and chronic diabetes and left for a couple of weeks before they said they'd forgotten to tell me I hadn't

Apart from the now-comic episode, I wouldn't recommend a hospital stay to anyone, but it's not too bad if you have to go

Pippie


Joined: 02/12/2009
Posts: 1288

Message Posted:
29/05/2010 20:56

Thank you everyone, I value your comments. I suppose the thought that if you needed emergency/hospital care here, the standard you can expect should be good, this should alleviate many worries. Having, said that, I understand also those few comments that peace of mind by having insurance is also priceless. My dad has spent hours trying to get some sort of insurance but no one will touch them just at the moment until the test results are back and they know the total extent of the pre-existing medical conditions on my mum. My mum's doctor has said 'get something booked, it'll probably do you good', so we'll see. May be they will feel happy to book something and sort the insurance as soon as the results are through, hopefully before travel.



Someone also asked me today whether it's possible to arrange health insurance in this country if you're not a resident. Does anyone know?

dalartokat


Joined: 14/04/2008
Posts: 734

Message Posted:
29/05/2010 21:10

In the past people have asked about coping with Diabetes in NC. I have no idea where North Cyprus medicines/tablets come from but the following was announced today from Greece.

The world's leading supplier of the anti-diabetes drug insulin is withdrawing a state-of-the-art medication from Greece.



Novo Nordisk, a Danish company, objects to a government decree ordering a 25% price cut in all medicines.



A campaign group has condemned the move as "brutal capitalist blackmail".



More than 50,000 Greeks with diabetes use Novo Nordisk's product, which is injected via an easy-to-use fountain pen-like device.



A spokesman for the Danish pharmaceutical company said it was withdrawing the product from the Greek market because the price cut would force its business in Greece to run at a loss.



The company was also concerned that the compulsory 25% reduction would have a knock-on effect because other countries use Greece as a key reference point for setting drug prices.

scruff


Joined: 15/07/2008
Posts: 1070

Message Posted:
30/05/2010 15:18

re. msg 19.

I do not know the answer to this question, but would doubt if you can get cover here for a UK. visitor. If you could, then organising the cover, would very likely take too long for a holiday visit anyway.

I did look into private cover here, once for my husband & myself as Permanent Residents here. There were many exclusions for major illnesses during the first year & the cost of long term cover put us off. We just pay as we go for medical expenses, including some quite major tests & one short in-patient stay in the South. Also have to pay for meds. here too. These would be free for us in the UK. now. You just have to be fully aware of the worse scenario & ensure that you have adequate savings to pay. I too have visited Girne hospital on 2 occasions. Once on a Sunday for an allergy rash. Had an injection - cost 25 TL & on another occasion as an Emergency by Ambulance - no charge whatsoever.

Generally the treatment here is pretty good but different to the UK.

Pippie


Joined: 02/12/2009
Posts: 1288

Message Posted:
30/05/2010 15:44

Thanks Scruff

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
30/05/2010 16:17

hiya sylvie, as usual and as in uk drug companies put money before patients welfare. I just thank my god i have not had to avail of the services here, but maybe oneday. The recent initative carried out by the TRNC healthcare proved very successful with the results being almost instant, now that would not happen in the uk.