Getting sick while in Aruba?

[Andrea J.]

Recently I was on a 4 night cruise Thursday - Monday and was seasick (actually praying that I would die) on Thursday and Saturday.
So being sick for 2 of the 4 days was bad.

Have you or your travel companions ever been ill in Aruba?
What were your options? What did you do to help yourself or your companions?

We have had a couple of visits to the ER, and 1 visit to the urgent care.
The ER visits were "prior" to the urgent care places opening.

Our situations included:
ear infections/swimmer's ear. ER
gi upset virus/food poisoning ER
cut needing stitches (but they used glue!!). Urgent Care
grandson with ear infection and cough. Urgent Care

Each time we were treated promptly and competently.
Each time the cost was less than half the cost of USA prices.
Each time our trip insurance reimbursed us 100%.

[gaby]

I had some kind of bug 2 years ago. Sick all night and the next day, tried ginger ale. Finally went to urgent care, they gave me an antibiotic & probiotics. No problem at all. My insurance paid their bill and would have paid the pharmacy bill if i sent it in but for me, $29 for two prescriptions was cheap so I didn't both filling out that form since it had to go to two different places. but the urgent care bill was $150, got totally reimbursed. Felt better by the next day, actually that night.

[robin]

Thankfully we have not need medical services on the island, but know those in our complex that have been to urgent care for bronchitis and another who ended up badly breaking her leg in several places and need immediate surgery at the hospital.

[hockeymom23]

I went to the emergency room for what turned out to be strep throat. A bit of a wait (but nothing like a US emergency room). Doctor was super nice. I think the whole visit was $50. We had a cab take us to a pharmacy that was open in nearby. The one by the hospital was closed as it was after 6pm. The cab driver was so nice and waited for the prescription with us. We told him he could go and we'd call another cab but he wouldn't hear of it. I can't remember the exact amount for the prescription and cab but it was cheap. Took one of the z-pak pills on the way back in the cab and was feeling better within the hour. Insurance reimbursed all. It was the best hospital experience I've ever had!

[Pegmeister]

We have been fortunate and hopefully will continue to be. We have never needed medical assistance in Aruba. We always get travel insurance. I always worry because of Tom’s medical history but the doctors at MGH have expressed their confidence in the hospital in Aruba and that gives us peace of mind.

[LisaGrn]

That's a pretty impressive vote of confidence (Peg, I'm assuming"MGH" is MassGeneral?)!

[Pegmeister]

That's a pretty impressive vote of confidence (Peg, I'm assuming"MGH" is MassGeneral?)!

Yes, MGH is Mass General Hospital and for us it is a huge vote of confidence. Tom had a liver transplant 5 years ago. When we were first headed back to Aruba (7 months after his surgery) we had to meet with the Infectious Disease doctor before traveling. She gave us the thumbs up with the Aruba hospital. It has always made me feel more at ease with traveling.

[LisaGrn]

As it should! I've fortunately never needed medical assistance in Aruba, and I've only ever heard good things about the
hospital. This just makes me feel even better about it.

[DiviDiviFan]

Nothing major thankfully however a few years ago some kind of bug was going around our resort. My husband got it either 2 days before or the day before our departure day, I was in a panic as I knew it could not fly as he was getting sick constantly. I cleared it with hotel which said we could extend our departure day, I was on the phone with airline trying to reschedule flight. Everything ended up fine he was ok to fly home but did put a bit of stress onto us. The bellman Lorenzo was trying to give me advice on what he could do for a homemade remedy as well as one of the other staff members. I have been back and forth pharmacy during other stays for little things and the pharmacist was great.

[robin]

If you need non prescription medication during the night or just when everything is closed, the pharmacy near the hospital has a vending machine that has medications in it such a cough meds, pain relief, Tums, etc. This the first place I ever saw this type of vending machine.
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