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Emergency Care in Baja

• Options in Crisis

By Marlene Dunbar
CONTRIBUTOR

Thousands of Americans who travel the Baja peninsula, or make Baja their home, are completely clueless as to what services are and are not available to them in a medical emergency. Because of this lack of information, many Americans have been taken advantage of financially at the time of a crisis, and some have even died. The Baja News has interviewed local experts in the emergency medical response field, and hopes that the information these people have provided can help prepare Americans for medical crisis.
066
066 is Baja 911. The 066 hotline is , of course, manned by Spanish speaking dispatchers, but they will quickly find someone to translate your call. 066 is the number to remember for all emergences.
The Cruz Roja will resend to all accidents or any major medical emergencies. The 1st response ambulance is always free. Paramedics evaluate patient to determine whether they need to be stabilized at a local hospital, or whether they can be transported to the border.
Bomberos, Playas Tijuana
Playas Tijuana bomberos will be the ones to arrive on the scene in response to a 066 call, if the emergency is in Playas Tijuana. According to Playas Emergency Medical Tech Ivette de la Cruz, 75% of the calls their station gets are for medical emergences. Ivette told the Baja News, “ we have two EMTs working each shift. When a call comes in, we send an ETM out to evaluate the situation. The ETM will decide whether the emergency patient needs to go to a hospital or clinic to be stabilized or directly onto the border.

CAPUFE;
This is the toll road service, paid for with the little ticket that you buy each time you pay your toll. CAPUFE is run by the Mexican Federal Government, Servicio Medicos Capufe. This is for toll road accidents and emergencies only. The tiny toll ticket pays for trip to border, or Excel Hospital, a prestigious private hospital in the Tijuana Zona Rio. All your expenses are pre -paid at this facility, thanks to your little toll road ticket, which is actually “insurance”.

Private Hospitals and Services;
Oasis Of Hope Hospital, Playas Tijuana
1-888-500-HOPE www.oasisofhope.com
From US ..O1-52-664-6-31-61-61
The Oasis of Hope Hospital is a full service private hospital, serving the American community for over 45 years. Known world wide for its famous cancer clinic, Oasis also features a 24.hour emergency room, an intensive care unit, 4 operating rooms, 24 hour laboratory services. The hospital offers patients services in every field of medical specialization.. Oasis offers Americans a free medical checkup. The medical records are stored in a online data base, available should the American have a medical emergency”. “US insurance usually pays for stabilization”, according to Oasis representative Gaston Tessada. Oasis is private hospital, fees paid
with cash or major credit card. Oasis is the closest hospital to Rosarito.

Serena Care, Rosarito
Arco Plaza .1.Calle Mar Mediterráneo.123
Playas Rosarito, B.C. 22710
US 1-877-606-0022
MEXICO 01-800- 030-0070
www.serenaseniorcare.com
Pre-paid service. 24-7 hotline, Provided clients with special services; $119 single membership, $189 couples. Includes 24-7 emergency hotline. Serena staff makes all emergency calls, (ambulance, hospital, etc.) for you, and “will follow up to make sure everything goes smoothly.” Membership fee includes free medical checkup, free, secure, medical record online access. Friendly staff provides many other non-medical services as well.

Baja Medix, Rosarito
Emergency Services, clinic, ambulante. 365 days per year, 8am-6pm-$100 for members, $300 non-members. They will call your US doctor, and arrange for ambulance to meet you at border from US 01-52-(661) 6-12-12-66

Bi-National Medical Care Committe
619-425-5080
$30 annual donation pays for; 24-7 emergency hotline
Since 1976, 13,000 Americans safety evacuated
Contacts with all gov agencies, Mexico, US
Arrangements with US insurance companies…and volunteer services if no $$