Regular lurkers will know of the trips we make in seek of medication for No 1 Son due to his diabetes, not always running smoothly. With the introduction of the new chip card system in place in Andalucia, even up here, I found over Christmas we were no longer covered under my old Social Security card, and were unhelpfully redirected to the main health centre at a nearby town. It's expensive here, when I owned the shop I paid nearly 360€ a month, and Spain with it's 17 or so autonomous regions, each one controlled separately, makes for a confusingly bizarre system of health. But we are in Europe, and minors are minors, so off we plodded.
Met by a paramedic casually dressed as a bin-man, we were assured this was merely temporary, and a new card was imminent, but call back in an hour and chat with the secretary. This proved more complicated as she insisted we would not be covered in future, and explaining to her if Josh didn't receive his insulin he would actually die, she twiddled her mustache and in Pontius Pilate-like fashion said it wasn't her problem.
Forget Hippocratic oath, obviously the new chip card system reached the Alpujarras before it did.
Now, I'm not easily swayed, and strangely enough will go to any length to protect my kids, short of breaking into the Farmacia and actually seizing the medicine, (still actually a viable option) we decided to employ a local 'fixer' and he arranged an appointment in the not so nearby town of Orgiva....
Monday morning we set off, and were seen as promised by a health officer there, where José wheedled all of the correct information and paperwork, and insisted she call the aforementioned centre and basically instruct them to do their job. Back we traveled to there, where mustachioed Herr Secretary complied, printed forms, and almost smiled....well, perhaps it was wind.
Stan and Josh have now traipsed up to the Medico of Murtas this morning, I sit here with crossed fingers and the last of my Bronchial bout and await the verdict....
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UPDATE: The Argentinian dictator who poses as our latest Medico, clearly still smarting from the Falklands war, finally relented - if not quite abdicated - and begrudgingly added Josh back on the system, and the Insulin was granted, hallelujiah.
His second in command, the new pharmacist, dispensed same and all is now peaceful.
Now, have I mentioned the debacle with non communicative communications giant Telefonica??!!
Another time....
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