Healthcare - what price

[AndyHarries]

Hi all

April is approaching, and nothing upon nothing will stop Andrew and I from taking our trip to Tobago.

SO, I had better start getting organised...

Because Andrew has a terminal illness, we have to get insurance through specialist companies. But quotes are coming up at about £3K. Obviously we can't afford this, so have been reviewing our options. We may take out normal insurance and only claim, as normal, if something non-cancer related strikes (I've never claimed on travel insurance yet, so fingers crossed this time will be the same). But if Andrew were to be hospitalised, then we'd have to pay up front for that...

Bearing in mind that since he hasn't been having chemo and radiotherapy he has not been in hospital (the two things he suffers from are fatigue and pain - neither of which need hospital care/are under control), should we just risk the hospital side of things? How much is an average stay in hospital (it's in Trinidad, isn't it?)? Would we be able to hop on a plane at the onset of anything troublesome (unlikely - he will sleep and sleep before that happens)? Or is it not that simple, and are you thinking that I've got my head in the clouds?

Help! I don't know what to do really. And our balance for the Coco Reef (through Virgin) is due on Feb 26, and that's non-refundable, so if we have to cancel at the last minute, we'll lose £3K anyway!

Decisions, decisions!

Thanks in advance for your help,

Rachel

PS Andrew would secretly like to spend his last days in Tobago. If he does die there, he'd like to be cremated and all there. I'm sorry if this has upset anyone - I'm not worried about him dying there at all.

[Glyn Kirpalani]

Hi Rachel

Good to hear from you and of your/Andy's determination to still come.

Public health care is free here for residents and tourists, but state hospitals (especially poor old Scarborough General Hospital) are basic, with very sparse oncology treatments. Having said that, my poor old mum was saved twice by Sc Gen during her recent three month holiday from UK - first time with DVT, second time with acute pancreatitis. Both times the lady in the bed next to her died but I digress!

Port of Spain has much better hospitals and in life threatening cases the air ambulance is free - either a helicopter or ambulance transfer to Crown Point for 20 minute flight to Piarco then transfer to POS General.

Then you have the option to check out of POS and into one of the world class private hospitals (always treating oil worker expats etc) eg the St Clair medical centre where our baby boy was born 6 months ago. I guess-timated that prices were at least a fifth of a BUPA, if not cheaper - 3 nights stay for both of us in ensuite room with posh grub, aircon and cable TV plus 18 hours forceps delivery (in OR with full staff) by consultants and pediatric care came to just £1200. The nightly rate for the room was just £50 approx incl food and nursing care - which works out to be much better value than a 4* POS hotel for any other cricket fans who don't want to fork out for the Hilton or Kapok hotels!

Also, since Neil Wilson and the tourism division are aware of Andy's case and sympathetic, if he were to need treatment of an urgent nature then your air ambulance to POS is the best bet - and their intensive care is adequate-good. My advice is to contact the Tourism Division before/after arrival - or email me a private letter if you would like me to pop up the road to see one of their top people who is a neighbour and sympathetic. Then they will assist you in the unlikely event that you felt the public hospitals were not doing all they could to help.

One final story - we hosted a guest last year in Carlyn Lodge who came with no travel insurance, since he was awaiting a total heart transplant at Harefield. He happily told us he could die at any minute (after settling into the apartment) but loved Tobago so much that he did not care - and had his wife's support too. All went well, except I nearly had a heart attack when one of the legs on his plastic chair snapped and he fell back, banging his head on the table! There are some gutsy people around - noone can tell you to take insurance or not, but what is certain is that Andy would get better-than-third-world but sub-NHS levels of care for free.

By the way, be wary of Virgin refusing to carry Andy - airlines fear the cost of re-routing if someone gets sick in the air, amongst other reasons why they sometimes refuse to carry terminally ill pax - unless on medivac flights of course.

Hope this helps?

[AndyHarries]

I was hoping you would reply! Thank you.

Your response was very reassuring.

I think we will risk it - we're not flying with Virgin, and anyway, we can get a consultant's letter to say that it's extremely unlikely that we will have to have urgent medical treatment - it's not the same as a heart condition in that everything is slow and tortuous! I know I don't need to convince you

Of course I really don't mind paying for special medical treatment for Andrew, if it is required or if it will make him more comfortable, but I do resent paying an insurance company £3K for a policy we are very unlikely to use.

I didn't know about the free healthcare - I thought it was all pay as you go!

Thank you again Glyn. Can't wait to meet you and thank you in person.

Rachel

[AndyHarries]

Will be in touch shortly after we arrive about the situation. Thanks for that, too.

[Glyn Kirpalani]

Hi Rachel/Andy

And I hope it all goes as well as can be expected! Just remember that T&T is not a third world nation, nor first world, but slots in between under the "developing" nation status. The hospitals reflect that too - the main similarities between the UK NHS and the public care system here is that many of the doctors are foreign - some of the best ones in Scarborough are from West Africa. Many in POS are from Cuba - well trained there but knowledge of spanish might help!

I forgot to mention that Tobago's only private hospital, the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital in the Triangle Building, Scarborough, has finally partially reopened after a lengthy refurbishment, although they are having trouble recruiting medical staff. It will now see anyone for day/dropin treatments, will treat broken bones etc etc so is my recommended choice for tourists since it means that for a few hundred dollars (TT!) most holiday ailments can be treated without having to queue up at Scarborough A&E, amidst the hospital chickens, cats and dogs (I do not jest).

One of our guests at Mount Hay Retreat was injured while swimming and I took him up to the SDA hospital for injury treatment, and he was seen promptly/cheaply, although he had to return next day for x-rays.

Hopefully by the time you arrive the overnight wards/OR will be open to for private patients (I toured them - they are clean, spacious and air conditioned etc), but don't count on it if Andy needs some R&R or serious treatment.

Look forward to meeting you both too

[Tanja Mohammed]

Hi there
we are glad to hear that you are still planning to come. Please get in touch with us regarding the Trinidad trip as we are still holding the money in your care for Trinidad.
As for the health care issue, I can only confirm what Glyn has already stated.

All the best and keep your heads up

Tanja - Yes Tourism

[AndyHarries]

Thanks for replying!

I will email you straight away.

Rachel

[Steve Pitts]

I've come back to the UK and to work to some sad and sobering news.
My 46 year old colleague has suffered a severe stroke, whilst on holiday in Cyprus.
Now in intensive care and on life support, suitable travel insurance is meeting the hospital bills and allowing relatives to stay over, untill such times as he is able to be repatriated.
To all myTobago readers;
Please don't be tempted to travel without suitable cover as the financial burden of medicare can add further anguish to an already difficult situation, should an accident or illness occur abroad.

Take care
Steve

[Joanne Kassie Foehner]

Hi:
My husband and I had to hurriedly return home when his father fell off a ladder. He suffered massive head, chest and spinal injuries and was on life support.

We were supposed to stay in Tobago for one month. The accident happened 8 days into the trip. Immediate family members suggested we wait until the doctors gave their opinion. Sadly when that opinion came the prognosis was very bad. Four days after our return his Dad passed away.

Had we not had trip cancellation/interruption insurance, we would have had to fork out a lot of money to return home. Instead we paid a relatively small change fee on each ticket. We are now in the midst of claiming the fees back after, of course, providing the requisite supporting documentation. I'll keep you posted as to what hassles we have yet to face but so far the insurance company seems to be rather considerate.

I don't think I will ever travel without both insurances ever again! The premiums are a small price to pay for "peace of mind" should anything go wrong.

Joanne

[Steve Pitts]

My colleagues family are recieving the utmost care and assistance from his holiday insurers as well as the travel co. concerned.
The benefits of this type of cover are invaluable.

Steve