InVinoVeritas

So there is the system and there are the people who ignore it?

EMR

No , Its Portugal, not the UK or SA but Portugal..

liveaboard

The Portimao barlevento hospital serves the entire western Algarve, and is 60 km from my place.
On the other hand, Private hospital in Lagos 'only' 50km.

INEM used to send a chopper, but these days life is too cheap and helicopters too expensive.

GeniB

Ok Ukk This is the information as AFPOP understands it and as told to us by the Medal Insurance Group

Calling a 112 no will get you a public ambulance which will take you to a public hospital..They do not transport patients to Private hospitals

***.(If they do ..as a poster has mentioned he does.Then that appears to be a private/local arrangement particular to that area ) ***

To arrange for a ambulance for a private hospital you need that hospitals contact no

We have several different hospitals in the Lagos area. The public Barlevento hospital as mentioned by Live..The Private Sao Goncalo in Lagos.Plus a small public hospital in the centre of Lagos.
We use the Hospital Particulier in Alvor. for which we have patient cards.We have also used the Goncalo on a couple of occasions..so ditto..

For your chosen private hospital you ring the contact no on your patient card and they will send an ambulance
Should we therefore have an emergency at home we would probable use the Sao Goncalo as it's less than 15 mins away. Anything that can wait awhile we would much prefer the bigger Alvor. which is 35 mins+ away
Conclusion.!! Make sure you have your medical cards with you and the contact no's Hope this helped

Ukkram

Thank you so much GeniB. I will nip across the road and get this info from them. I know that they do not have an ambulance on their premisses though.

Ingles

Ukkram. I think I have a answer to you conundrum
I was on duty yesterday & had a chance to chat with a staff member at the Sanfil Hospital in Leiria
If you ever need a Emergency Ambulance again , it's odds on when you phone the Private Hospital on the telephone supplied by them, they will do one off two things.
Try to obtain a Private Ambulance to cover the call ,if one is not available in the time span required for a emergency call out, they will then contact the Local Ambulance service & instruct them to cover the call out.
Both ways the Insurance Cº covers all cost.
It's all to do with "protocol"

Ukkram

Thanks Ingles. I will confirm that with the private hospital asap. I am stuck at home for now with a pulled back muscle with trying to pick my wife up off the pavement.

Ingles

Oh bugger !
Hope you both feel better soon

Ukkram

I am not worried about myself but my wife's arm has swelled up to twice it's size and turned dark red and keeps oozing. We will have to both wobble across the road tomorrow for treatment.

GeniB

Yikes Ukkram I think I would have 'wobbled over' this evening If I had been your wife.That sounds very nasty..Hope she gets it sorted quickly

Ukkram

Just an update. I removed the bloodied cut up t-shirt I used as a bandage from my wife's swollen arm. Cut her blouse off as she could not remove it and got her dressed appropriately and off we wobbled across the road to Hospital Particular.

The very friendly doctor who could not speak a word of English prodded her arm and shook his head in dismay then sent for an assistant who led us to the x-ray room a floor above.

After many x-rays the radiologist showed us a "thumbs up". Not sure if this meant that her arm was not too shattered or what.
Miraculously her medical card that she handed in at the reception below now appeared at her reception and we had to pay the radiologist account.
We were then led back down to the doctors reception and had to pay his bill.

Before they bade us goodbye, I asked about how to contact private ambulance service and was told " We are having a 4 day festival here in Viana and it is difficult".

Back home now and had to cut up another t-shirt to make a bandage and am now off to the chemist to get paracetamol, antiseptic stuff and bandages.

What a waste of time and money.

Ingles

Ukkram :- Info on Private Ambulance Service in your area

Ambulâncias Vale Âncora Lda - Santa Maria Maior e Monserrate e Meadela (Viana do Castelo), Estrada Papanata 180-B | Ambulâncias | pai.pt

Hope it's off use ,but you don't have to use it, if you get my meaning

Ukkram

Thanks Ingles. They have an office near us so I will pop in. I don't think they have an emergency service or actual ambulances as I have only seen mini vans parked there with the office closed on weekends.

GeniB

Why 'waste of time and money? If even the doctor was a tad shocked at the way your wife looked? Surely to know all is well is good news?

As to the ambulance service being sporadic/and or on holiday ? hmm agree not so good..Sounds like you do live in a very underserved area..( Maybe receptionist thought you mean't 'right now' for ambulance though) At least you can crawl over the road next time

santaanita

and the docter didnt speak a word of english,how very dare he.