Foray into the Chilean healthcare system

One factoid about our health care experience in Castro tells it all. The receptionist at the doctor's office can spell Ravicz and we give one another kisses when we cross paths in town. Over the last three months we've made several visits to the doctors' office. Mostly the result of living in a drafty apartment in a cool climate with two kids: ear infections, sinus infections, persistent coughs and 24 hour fevers. We've had time to get to know Alexandra, the receptionist, her 6 and 10 year old daughters and even had a nice chat with her mother once. Alexandra's mom was down from Chillan and shared a bag of big strawberries and cherries.
When we show up to ask for an appointment, we either get scheduled in with whomever is available or Alexandra makes a phone call and in 20 minutes one of the practice's doctors comes in. With the hospital 4 blocks away I suspect they just detour from rounds or something to do a clinic visit. One thing we like is that return visits are standard and free. At the end of a visit we pay and schedule a follow up, control as they call it here. Since our insurance is out of country, we pay cash ($30 for a general practitioner, $50 for a specialist). At the pharmacy, over the counter does not exist. We ask the pharmacist for everything, including aspirin.
About a month ago Berto decided all this was getting to be too mundane. HE complained of pain in his ear. Two visits to the doctor and 2 weeks later we had ruled out standard ear infection. We then went to an ENT who then sent us out to an audiologist and for X-rays. Now if Mike were writing this, the last sentence would be a page full of big words and scientific concepts. In the end, Roberto had out patient surgery last Friday. His adnoids were removed, a small drainage hole has made in one ear drum and a 10 inch long string of mucus was pulled out of that ear. He is hearing better, feeling better and a much nicer boy to be around. The latter was helped along by a recovery day of endless ice cream.
Mike and Lisa were an entertaining team in the ENT and audiologist's offices. Lisa understood the standard Spanish while Mike was all over the ear diagrams and the medical language. As well it was a relief to have Mike's colleagues at the Mass Eye & Ear Infirmary give over night confirmations to the diagnosis and treatment. Life would have been a lot more complicated if Berto had hurt his foot.
Lastly as proof that no matter what, everyone knows everyone in Chiloe; the audiologist had heard of Mike from a colleague in Puerto Montt who attended a talk Mike gave in November at a medical conference. And the audiologist had met us a birthday party in December, his daughter being a year ahead of Berto at colegio Carpe Diem. Then, while Lisa was waiting for Berto to wake up in the recovery room, one of her students and his family was there waiting for his cousin to wake from tonsil surgery.
We are hoping that all coughs, colds, fevers and ear aches are behind us. But since fall and winter are around the corner, we're keeping Alexandra at the doctor's office in the cell phone.