undercover tourist...it could happen to you!

[Bobbisox]

It happened to me last year, I had a niggly cough <non-smoker> and went to a Pharmacy in Murcia, they must have had a racket going between them, sent me to the Doctor, next door...handy, who charged me 100 Euros and said I had pneumonia, I didn't!!!!
and was as fit as a fiddle !

[ladybird49]

I watched the prog bobbi, rip off con merchants they were

[Bobbisox]

lady I was caught in the very same trap, I was asked to go back the following day at 4pm and he was pacing up and down smoking a fag, probably worried that I wasn't coming!

[NoMercy]

It happens over there, Bobbi.

The price you pay depends on whether you say...

"Estoy aqui de vacanciones" (I'm here on holiday)

or

"Yo vivo aqui" (I live here).

If it is the latter, they wouldn't attempt to rip you off.

[Bobbisox]

he was wanting me to go to Hospital NM, for an X-Ray, I refused, he gave me a letter...in Spanish for my own GP, who fell about laughing! but sent me anyways, clean Bill of health!!!!

[NoMercy]

I had to go to the local farmacía for some antihistamines after I found a feral kitten and my eye blew up. I'm sure he sold me a placebo...

[Bobbisox]

I should have had alarm bells going, his name was Castro...LOL

[Dris]

I know exactly where you went Geordie but I went with my Spanish neighbour.My ear drum had burst during the night so there was no if buts or maybes as the blood was still coming out it.35€ very pleased with service but agree with NoM.

[Bobbisox]

down by some shops Haggis? next to a Tobaccos..ha-ha

[tamborine]

wot a con - can you claim it back off the insurance

[Bobbisox]

50 Euros excess Tamb...

[tamborine]

glad they were wrong tho'

[Bobbisox]

thanks Tamb, he gave me antibiotics, another 35 Euros, which were 500mg, told me if I as much had a taste of a glass of wine, I would have a brain hemorrhage!!!

[tamborine]

Bet you were scared.....complain to the Embassy; they'll give them a rocket.

[Brinjal]

Sounds like Zimbabwe. If you have a nice bupa insurance its off for every test in the book, even hospitalization. If you dont have insurance two headache tablets and dont come back.

[sandyRoe]

What about the European Medical card, doesn't it cover doctors fees in Spain?

[boxtops]

SandyRose, EHIC should cover you yes, for state-provided health care, but not for private arrangements http://www.nhs.uk/NHS...ges/Introduction.aspx

[Bobbisox]

sandy, to answer your question, we have the EHIC but bearing in mind, we went to see the Pharmacist to see if he would recommend a cough bottle for me, he took us in the back and said I must see a Doctor, and so it escalated from there, this Doctor put the fear of God himself into me, saying I wouldn't be able to return home as I had acute pneumonia, this after I had walked about 30 minutes to his surgery in 38 degrees! still feeling I had a niggly cough !!!

[Dris]

The one i know is the Medical Centre is on one corner and you cross over a smal street and the Pharmacy is on the other corner-so theyre neighbours just seperated by a we road.
Its shocking really.I was ripped off in Cyprus.I burst my ear drum scuba diving (same one 3 times so far) and after a weeks treatment and an astonishing bill I was allowed to fly as they said my ear drum was fine even altho I saw the bubbles coming from it along with severe pain -the flight was horrendous.Tell ya I would have kicked his shins if he had been there.Did get some back from insurance though.