Inexpensive Consultorio

I used one of these in Mazatlan on my first trip south while I recovered in a cheap motel for a week. The one there was a Farmacia Similares where the doctor had a small office off to the side of "his" farmacy. His consulting fee is only 25-40 pesos and then you go next door and spend 80-100+ in the pharmacy. 

Lorena went to this one on Ramon Corona the other day and was told she needed a blood analysis. We checked with the laboratory near Dentista Woo and the cost was $350 pesos. With her Seguro Popular ID she goes next door to Centro de Salud and is referred to a free laboratory near the "Happy Cow" on Benito Juarez. Today she'll pick up the lab results and go back to the doctor above.  I assume he will prescribe something from his pharmacy.

Cihuatlan Hospital

I've become the taxi driver for a few families in our community when someone in the family is sick. Yesterday they asked me to take them to the Cihuatlan Hospital to get some medicine that wasn't at Seguro Popular here in Melaque. Grandma was having a hard time breathing.

I'm not sure why they didn't call first. Just a Mexican thing, don't trust the system or just didn't have the number. Anyway, Cihuatlan didn't have it either. Seems Seguro Popular is often out of lots of medicine. Back we came and they are off to the local pharmacy to buy the medicine for grandma.

Seguro Popular and Centro de Salud - Cihuatlan