| Costa Rica is a very healthy country. Costa Rica's health
status is comparable to that of developed nations. The country's
private health clinics have international fame and attract
people from around the world for everything from dental care
and ocular laser surgery to major cosmetic surgery and life
extension treatments.
Unlike other countries in Latin America, especially Mexico,
Costa Rica's water supply is good and perfectly safe to drink
in San José and in the majority of small towns. In
most places, you can drink the water without fear of Montezuma's
Revenge (diarrhea) or other intestinal problems. However,
be careful when you drink water in the countryside. We have
lived in Costa Rica for years and have not heard many people
complain about the quality of the country's water. If you
prefer, bottled water is available. Just as in the United
States, there are about 20 brands of bottled water in different-size
containers sold at the supermarkets. You will be pleased that
Costa Rica's water is soft for bathing and washing your hair.
Although the Costa Rican government takes precautions to
monitor the quality of the water and the country has high
sanitation standards, there are some precautions you should
take. Wash and peel all fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid
drinking water-based fruit drinks sold in stands on the street.
You should also watch out for raw seafood dishes, such as
ceviche, served in some bars and restaurants. This
type of seafood is soaked in lemon juice and not cooked with
heat. In general, restaurants are clean so you shouldn't have
to worry what you eat. Low-end establishments display chicken
and other food under lamps to keep it warm. If the food doesn't
look fresh, use your judgment.
Costa Ricans are proud of their nation's achievements in
the field of health care. Their up-to-date, affordable, state-run
cradle to grave health care system reaches all levels of society
by offering the same medical treatment to the poor as those
with greater resources. Hospitals, clinics and complete medical
services are available in all major cities and some small
towns. More than 90 percent of the population is covered by
the Social Security System.
There is either a public clinic or hospital in almost every
area of the country, making medical care accessible to everyone
including foreigners. We know a U.S. couple near Dominical,
on the southern Pacific coast, who either use the public hospital
in San Isidro or the one in Ciudad Cortez. The wife told us
her husband fell when he was working on their house and sustained
a compound fracture of the wrist. He was treated at the public
hospital in Ciudad Cortez and was very pleased with the emergency
treatment he received.
Many international medical authorities rate Costa Rica as
having one of the best low-cost medical care systems in the
world, when preventive and curative medicines are considered.
The United Nations consistently ranks Costa Rica's public
health system as the best in Latin America and one of the
top 20 in the world.
It is no wonder a large number of foreigners are attracted
to Costa Rica because of its affordable health care. In the
United States, for example, millions of people do not have
health insurance because it is prohibitively expensive. For
this reason, Costa Rica attracts many retirees from North
America. It doesn't matter if you are a legal resident or
a traveler. Everyone is entitled to emergency care at a government
hospital.
Costa Ricans are a healthy people. The infant mortality rate
of less than 11 in 100,000 live births is lower than that
in the United States. This figure is on par with any industrialized
country in the world. Life expectancy is 76.3 years for men
and 79.8 years for women. Today, an 80-year-old man has a
life expectancy of at least eight (actually, 8.4) years. This
puts Costa Rica in first place in the world for life expectancy
from this age up. Iceland and Japan follow with 7.7 years.
Costa Rican women at age 80 are expected to live longer than
men of the same age, 9.5 years, slightly behind the women
of Japan and France.
Hospitals have the latest equipment, and laboratories are
excellent. You can feel safe having most operations without
returning to the United States or Canada. Most surgical procedures
cost only a fraction of what they do in the United States.
For example, a heart bypass operations costs about a third
of what it does in the United States.
Even if you are in good health, the probability of needing
medical care increases with age. The security of knowing that
good health services are available represents an enormous
relief.
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