Medical care in Costa Rica
Some fundamental preparation and precautions enables keep you healthy and delighted while traveling.
Where to Get Attention
Emergencies Dial 911 toll free, no money needed at a pay phone for emergency assistance. The Red Cross Rescue product might be achieved right at 128 throughout the country (2221-5818 in San José). Tourism Care healthcare providers features road and environment paramedic and ambulance service throughout Costa Rica (2286-1818). Listings for exclusive doctors tend to be under Médicos inside telephone book.
For non crisis attention your first distinct defense is your very own first-aid system. 2nd, you can easily consider your local farmacia (pharmacy).
Consuming water
Note: overbuilding, lack of planning and drought problems have actually decreased numerous aquifers (especially in Guanacaste together with Nicoya peninsula) to the level that liquid high quality is struggling. Arsenic also natural contaminants are being concentrated, and tap water is no longer drinkable in a few lowland and seaside areas. In 2016 the drought in the Pacific side ended up being intensified by El Niño therefore is 2018 before products recover. Ask in your area.
Outside isolated problem areas municipal liquid materials generally in most of Costa Rica are superb. Particularly in the hills the water might be top quality than just what arrives of this faucet home.
One of the reasons so much land is protected in parks and reserves usually Ticos know the importance of their particular watersheds. Liquid high quality criteria administered and enforced because of the AYA resemble those followed in North America and European countries.
Liquid from streams and streams is usually not safe to drink without purification. As nearly all over the world, no-cost operating water includes parasites and bacterial pathogens (including giardia). As soon as we trekked over the Talamanca hills we found some channels several days through the nearest population that have been safe to take in from but generally speaking it is an awful idea.
Downstream from San José plus the waters around Puntarenas air pollution and contamination is serious adequate to make cycling unsafe in rivers.
Oceans
The ministry of wellness does sporadically shut down beaches considering large coliform bacteria matters (fundamentally sewage in liquid) in supposedly pristine places like Manuel Antonio National Park. Just about 20percent of Costa Rica’s sewage passes through cure plant hence only came on-line in 2015. Most sewage goes into septic systems some of which tend to be insufficient or vulnerable to leaking in to the groundwater during rainy season. A surprising amount of wastewater still just gets dumped in to the nearest river.
Purple tides (algal blooms) are becoming much more regular because the ocean heat increases and more fertilizer is completed to water in runoff. it is generally not considered really dangerous but could cause rash, discomfort and really should never be consumed.
Hot Springs
Amebic Meningoencephalitis is very uncommon but Costa Rica’s hot springtime resorts tend to be almost perfect habitat the ameba (Naegleria fowleri) that triggers it. The CDC assumes that Naegleria exists in any warm fresh-water and grows most useful around 115°F (46°C) – properly hot springtime conditions. The only device of disease occurs when liquid containing the ameba gets in the human body through nostrils. There's no remedy. As soon as symptoms are noticed it really is 97per cent fatal.
Washing
Washing the hands the most effective methods for stopping condition transmission whether you are traveling or otherwise not.
Eating
Good judgment will be your most readily useful protection against digestion afflictions. Clean any vegetables and fruits (especially people you don’t peel), don’t consume food from really stands or restaurants unless it's as hot or cool whilst is, and don’t replace your diet considerably overnight.
Insurance
A separate travel cover policy may be a good idea. Your normal medical health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid will maybe not be acknowledged and can perhaps not pay money for any treatment you need.
Costa Rica’s Social safety Institute offers medical and disaster dental care protection because of the week. Its readily available because of the few days through Tico travel companies, ask for the Instituto Nacional de Seguros travelers insurance coverage.
Numerous multinational organizations provide policies which cover journey termination, lost baggage, medical costs, and disaster evacuation. For what you will get this insurance coverage is relatively pricey so look around, get details through the providers, and see the plan carefully before buying.
Inoculations
Your ultimate medical resource needs to be your physician. We've supplied some basic information, and everyday revisions by skilled medical experts can be obtained regarding CDC and WHO those sites.
No inoculations are currently (November 2015) necessary for tourists from North America to Costa Rica. But you might give consideration to a gamma globulin shot to improve your overall resistance and defenses against hepatitis.
If you're from or have recently traveled to some parts of south usa or Africa evidence of inoculation against yellow-fever are needed. It is not present in Costa Rica as well as like to ensure that is stays that way.
Mosquitoes
Utilize repellent and wear long sleeves and jeans at dawn and dusk. There are several mosquito borne conditions when you look at the tropics world wide and in Costa Rica that are extremely unpleasant – chikungunya, zika, and dengue temperature.
First-aid
Every person should carry a simple first-aid kit whenever taking a trip. Hikers, backpackers, campers, surfers as well as others that prone to are away from medical care should carry much more considerable products.
The very least system includes pain relievers/fever reducers (Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, or Aspirin) Imodium, band aids, tweezers, neosporin, tape, attention drops, insect repellent, sun display. The benefits of having each one of these items convenient must certanly be obvious.
