Neil H. Says:
Are there good medical facilities in Costa Rica?
IL Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens Says:
Hi Neil,
By almost any standard, Costa Rica has some of the best healthcare in Latin America. Not only that, but the country’s public and private health systems are constantly being upgraded—new hospitals, new equipment, and improvements in staff training.
The best medical facilities are the private hospitals in the San José area of the Central Valley. Adequate healthcare is available at both private and public facilities throughout the country, but finding it can often be challenging.
That’s one of the reasons why many year-round foreign residents with healthcare needs prefer the Central Valley to the coast, but today the situation is changing, with more facilities in other locations.
Private hospital San Rafaél Arcángel in Liberia is located close to the North Pacific Coast and serves the local population and a growing number of medical tourists who come to Costa Rica specifically for healthcare. The hospital has an emergency room, surgical facilities, and other standard services usually provided by high-end medical facilities. Liberia is just 30 minutes to one hour or so away from North Pacific Coast beaches like Tamarindo, Flamingo, and Playas del Coco, home to many expats.
A Clínica Bíblica clinic is also in town along with Hospital Metropolitano, part of the Medismart healthcare system. And there are numerous private medical clinics which can handle minor issues and emergencies, along the Gold Coast.
And in what may become a trend, at least one resort, Los Sueños Resort and Marina on Herradura Bay near Jacó, has partnered with a Costa Rican hospital, in this case Clínica Bíblica, to open its own clinic staffed by bilingual medical personnel.
Meanwhile, San Vicente de Paúl Hospital in the Central Valley city of Heredia was completely rebuilt recently. The facility, which is part of the public system, has 250 beds and a state-of-the-art MRI center. In the Southern Zone, the hospital in Cortes also gets high marks.
You can get a full breakdown of medical facilities in Costa Rica in Chapter 7 of our guidebook, Escape to Costa Rica, available on the IL Bookstore here.
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