Tuesday 15 September 2009

The value of the EHIC card and relationship to Shakespeare

Or what I did on holiday in Puglia, Part 3



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Is any holiday ever completely glitch free? I've previously commented on the UK trains but we did manage one other problem. 'Friends, Romans, Countrymen lend me your ears,' we should have read the small print; one of our party ended up with an exquisite ear infection. After 2-3 days of saying, it'll get better, take pain killers, we eventually had a tearful night and bloody pus.

It was a Saturday morning when we realised that we would need help. The fantastic Debbie agreed to come too, and we started our tour. First trip the Pharmacia in Torchiarolo, there they said we should go to the Pronto Socorro and the centre. We pitched up at about 10.00 and found a sign saying that this was the time the staff would be in attendance. Five minutes later a rounded chap on a bicycle turned up; after a bit of chat about the symptoms he took a deep breath and in rich Puglian, Italian suggested that we should go to the Pronto Socorro in San Pietro Vernotico some 4 kilometres away.

When we arrived there we were told that with blood from the ear we would have to go to the Hospidale in Brindisi. So a quick hop back in the car and a drive up to Brindisi to the A&E. They requested the EHIC European Health Insurance Card and checked the passport. Thank goodness we had checked the dates and had new EHICs issued before we left. We were then sent to the ear, nose and throat specialists' clinic.

A very lovely Italian doctor with enough English to converse and reassure asked the necessary questions and then with great care explained his diagnosis and prescriptions of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and drops. It is interesting to ponder what would have happened in the UK, but we are not lending any ears to test the system.


1 comment:

  1. Sounds nasty - good job you were prepared.

    ReplyDelete

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