Tag Archives: Bogota

Interview with Sanivisit in Reston, Virginia

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This morning I met with executives from Sanivisit, a new medical tourism company based here in Reston, Virginia.  This company is affiliated with the Colsanitas corporation in Bogotá, Colombia.

I met with Mr. Alberto Ospina, a native Bogotano and President of Sanivisit and his colleague, Ms. Monica Wainbarg, Medical Tourism Advisor.  Both of them were very gracious and interested in this project.

I was surprised and pleased to see that both of these individuals have certainly done their homework.  In this past, I have had mixed experiences with medical tourism companies.  Some have been excellent, but others like the LaMontes, (interviewed for Cartagena surgery project) were blatant opportunists with little understanding or caring about the specialized needs of the medical tourist.

This was not the case with Sanivisit.  Both of the executives I met with have personally visited and met with all of the physicians involved.  They have toured and inspected travel facilities, and have arranged for VIP services for their clients.  As Mr. Ospina explained, “I’ve been in every hotel, measured the rooms, talked to the staff.  I make sure that rooms are clean, and comfortable.  I make sure that there is room for wheelchair accessibility. I talk to everyone. I make sure that everyone involved knows what we are doing.”

This includes arranging for transportation, diagnostic testing, doctors appointments, private nursing care after surgery, and even physician house calls, if needed.

Right now, they are trying to get the Colsanitas hospitals included in some of the medical tourism pilot projects (as alternatives to India) with several health insurance companies.  As readers know, several other large health insurance companies already support and encourage medical tourism excursions, and have establish separate divisions to assist medical tourism efforts.  (Unfortunately, in many cases these divisions exclusively work with Indian hospitals.  As we’ve discussed at Cartagena Surgery on multiple occasions, and published elsewhere on-line – India is a less than ideal location for American patients for several reasons.)

Since the company is in its infancy. the next year will be the trial by fire for Colombian medical tourism, Sanivisit and Colsanitas.  They seem like genuine, and caring individuals.  I wish them the best of luck.

In the future, I hope to interview some of their returning clients for readers here – to get their perspectives and experiences.

Disclosure: 

For the sake of absolute transparency and honesty, I would like to disclose that I have offered several of my articles on Medical tourism to Sanivisit for their use (with no compensation or remuneration.)

Update: October 2011

Sanivisit participates in medical tourism conference

Medical Tourism in my own backyard..

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New agreement with Colsanitas and a company in Northern Virginia is bringing Colombia to the author’s backyard..

Now, for more intimate details of the Bogotá Colsanitas facilities and the surgeons operating there – you’ll have to pick up a copy of Bogotá! The book is being reviewed right now, so we’re getting closer and closer to publication..

ProExport Replies to our inquiries..

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First, I would like to give my sincere thanks to Gabriel Amorocho, who sought me out to address my concerns regarding ProExport.  He then made a special effort to follow up with me and to get all of my questions answered.

Since I was unable to meet any of the ProExport representatives during my stay in Colombia – I submitted a list of questions for your information.  I am posting the questions and the official answers from ProExport here.

Questions and Answers with Erick Forero of ProExport:

1.     What do you anticipate for the future of medical tourism in
Colombia?

Thanks to the high quality level of our health services, as well as the efficiency of its administration and management, Colombia has become an international leader in the health services sector, with the United States, the Caribbean islands and Ecuador as its main
clients.  The plan moving forward is to continue strengthening the sector, as well positioning the country even more as a health destination.

In addition, Colombia is now going through an excellent moment on the subject. Colombian health institutions have reached worldwide acknowledgement thanks to its state of the art technology, qualified personnel, customized attention, excellent service-lead times and competitive pricing.

The sector is currently working very strong on accreditation activities. While the country has its own accreditation system, there are some institutions working on their accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI).

So far we have two accredited institutions and around 15 in the process to enter the United States’ market.

2. How is the government promoting Colombia as a medical tourism destination?

The Government chose the medical services exports sector as a world-class industry, on the basis of which the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism is conducting its activities around
creating tools to facilitate and overcome certain barriers that have been identified in the health field.

The duty-free regulation arose from the fact that sufficient beds were not available. Thus, the duty-free zones will increase the capacity by over one-thousand.

Furthermore, as part of its exportation promotion activities, Proexport Colombia is working very hard on positioning the country abroad by participating in events and arranging fam-trips where we bring insurers and facilitators to display our technology, infrastructure and the clinics.

3.     What do you see as the advantages of medical tourism in Colombia for North American consumers?

There are several reasons why Colombia is a health-tourism destination: First of all, it stands out at Latin American level thanks to its research on scientific and health topics; it has
established itself as an annual host for prestigious academic events, conventions, seminars and health training sessions; in addition to being pioneers in Latin America on the creation of its own health-accreditation systems (a total of 16 institutions have national accreditation and two have JCI international accreditation).

Colombia ranks first in Latin America in overall health system performance, and 22 in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

On the other hand, significant advancements have been made in the country as contributions to the medical world, such as the creation of the pacemaker (useful for certain heart
diseases), the Hakim valve (created to treat brain diseases) and the Malaria vaccination (a tropical disease that causes serious health problems in the region), among others.

Because of this, and thanks to the firm commitment to always guarantee the highest quality standards of health services, Colombia is one of the most attractive destinations world-wide for
health tourism.

4. I know Colombia has regulations in place restricting organ transplantation in Colombia to prevent black market sales.  Can you tell me more about that?

This is not a competency of Proexport Colombia. There is a regulation in place to give priority to national patients for transplants. The entity in charge is the National Health Institute. Its web
page is www.ins.gov.co.

5. Is Colombia planning to be represented at the Medical Tourism Association Congress in Chicago this October?

Who will be representing Colombia, and what will they be presenting?

We will be at the Convention in Chicago. The Colombian representation will be led by 10 institutions from the whole country. Proexport Colombia will coordinate the entire participation, thus we will have a stand with information regarding the country and four of
the participating clinics, which are all accredited and will have a stand. The best of the best from the country is going to be present at the event. They will be presenting their services, their export offer and the progress made in matters of infrastructure and technology acquisition.

6.    Is there anything specific you would like to pass along to Americans considering coming to Colombia for surgical procedures?

The offering found in Colombia by the foreign visitors coming to the country seeking these services is varied; however, the main sectors sought after are Cardiology, Cancer treatments,
Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Dentistry, medical check-ups and plastic surgery.

Amongst the sales channels identified by Proexport, the entity in charge of exports, investment and tourism promotion in Colombia, we have the end user, insurers, facilitators and foreign doctors.

However, the arrival of new visitors into the country seeking these services is due to the various international conferences and conventions which take place, web-page promotions, insurer and
facilitator Fam Trips.

Bogota and Medellin are the main destinations for foreigners, followed by Bucaramanga, Cali, Santa Marta, Barranquilla, Cartagena and the Coffee Triangle.

Colombian Doctors are very experienced, and the majority of them have been educated in universities abroad.

We also have state-of-the-art technology and a one of a kind diversity of climates all year round, which is great for all patients.

In addition, thanks to our economy and exchange rates, we are very favorable in terms of costs, considering that health services are very costly and slow in other countries, while the opposite
occurs in Colombia.

Furthermore, we have good air-traffic connections with the United States.

7.      Can you explain the medical visa to me? Is a medical visa needed?

This is Foreign-Affairs Ministry issue.  But Colombia does not require a medical visa. If the treatment is a very lengthy one, lasting over six months, you must request a visa.

Thanks again, Mr. Amorocho, and Thanks, ProExport Colombia.

First Book signing date!

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Getting ready to start the final editing process, so I can get the manuscript off to the printers.

I’ll be back in Bogotá  – at Authors Bookstore on Calle 70 No 5 -23 in August (August 18th).

I’d like to have an event here in Virginia but I am still working on the details.  I’ll post the dates and times when I have something scheduled.

New article on Yahoo!

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New article posted on Yahoo!  (associated content).  Most of you have heard me talk about the topic before – it’s usually one of the first questions I heard when interviewing surgeons down in Bogotá – but I wanted to publish something where the rest of the world could see it..  (Colombia as a destination for American medical tourists – five reasons why..)

Interview with Dr. Borraez, Bogota Bag: 27 years later

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One of my new articles on Dr. Borraez has been published to Yahoo! (associated content section) – it’s shared content with the site..  I’ve also written two other articles, one of original content, so I’ll let you know if they get published.  I thought it might get a little more exposure this way.  I’ve written this trio of articles for Yahoo! as a trial run, so we’ll see how it goes..

Note:  Due to recent changes at Yahoo! this article link has changed.  I have updated the link to the new article link. Please let me know if you have difficulty accessing this article.

Images of Surgery in Colombia

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I have published several Images of Surgery in Colombia to the web to give outsiders a glimpse into the operating rooms here in Bogota.  But since Yahoo! has overhauled their site – I will publish images here for readers, including photos from some of my other travels (Mexico, Medellin).

However, please do not use/ copy/ alter these images without my express written permission.  (All photos by K. Eckland)

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Interview with ProExport

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Update: 14 May 2011: I received a comment on the website from a Mr. Gabriel Amorocho (of ProExport) inviting questions – so I have sent him several.. Thank you for contacting me. I will update readers and let them know if I receive a reply..

Original Post

There’s nothing like a government agency to remind you of your own insignificance.  In this case, it’s Colombia’s ProExport..  ProExport is the government tourism division and one of its specific aims is to promote medical tourism to Colombia..  and here I am, writing a guide to medical tourism in Colombia…hmmm.

So as a writer on medical tourism in Colombia – I thought it would be nice to meet with someone over there, just to hear more about ProExport, what they do, what they are doing to further medical tourism, what they thought the future of medical tourism was in Colombia, etc..  It was a pretty important interview for me – because I thought I would be able to get a lot of questions answered for potential medical travelers, from an official source… yeah – it would have been nice.. But..

Nope, Nada, Never.  Not even after five months!  of calling, emailing and trying to get an appointment with someone, anyone, over at ProExport.  Everyone I’ve met here has tried to intercede, even my downstairs neighbor (who knows someone who knows someone etc..)  to get me just twenty minutes with someone from ProExport..  I’ve emailed several people at ProExport directly, from the information they provided..  I even managed to navigate the operators, with multiple transfers only to be transferred to an endlessly ringing phone.. and called again, and again, and again..  Never even got a form response to my emails..

It was easier – to get a reply from the President himself, (President Juan Manual Santos), and he was exceeding gracious about it..  (I sent him a copy of my first book – silly, but I was excited – my very first book, and just a week or so later, I received a very nice thank you note..)

So it’s the last weekday, of my last week here in Bogota, so I guess this humble writer, has been humbled again – and I will accept defeat.. There will be no ProExport interview for this unknown writer..

In the operating room with Dr. Rafael Beltran, Thoracic Surgeon

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Dr. Rafael Beltran, Thoracic Surgeon

Spent the morning at the National Cancer Institute, which really is a pretty amazing place, with a pretty amazing guy – Dr. Rafael Beltran. He’s one of the many incredible people I’ve met here – that truly make the world a better place through their work. I could have spent all day with him, seeing patients, surgery, discussing his cases and research – (Heck – I’d love to work with him!) but unfortunately, I had to race across town after several hours for another interview..

Dr. Beltran (tall gentleman on the left) and his surgical team

I really like this picture here, I think it highlights one of the important aspects of surgery – the surgical team.. As you can see above, Dr. Beltran (left) certainly doesn’t work in isolation – and that’s his philosophy about cancer care – the surgeons from different specialties work together closely, along with oncologists, radiologists, hematologists, therapists and other specialties to give well-coordinated, and well-rounded care. While I was the operating room, I stood next to a shy young woman.. After I badgered her for a little bit – she told me her story. She’s a respiratory therapist – and she was watching the surgery, so she would better understand how to take care of her lung surgery patients – and to understand exactly what they had been through. Not often do surgeons find room in their ORs for respiratory therapists – but Dr. Beltran understands that by having this young woman here observing – she learned more today than she could ever glean from books.. By doing so – he’s integrated her into the surgical team, and that’s important when often today’s medicine is an exercise in fractured and fragmented care.

In the operating rooms all around us – the same thing was occurring, with orthopedics, plastic surgery, neurosurgery.. As you can tell – on all my visits to the National Cancer Center, I’ve been very impressed with the physician commitment and the level of care.

As I raced off – I received a text that the doctor I was next scheduled to meet had to go to another hospital – he offered to meet me there, but he had an emergency, so I thought it best to reschedule for when he had more time.  I’m really looking forward to talking to him – so I didn’t want him to be too distracted.. I get the best interviews when we can just sit down and talk..

Then – a thoracic surgeon we’ve talked about before – texted me that he had 2 interesting cases – did I want to go? So I spent he remainder of the afternoon talking with Dr. Juan Carlos Garzon, thoracic surgeon. I’m glad I did – because I had lots of questions from our previous interviews, and between cases, he spent the time to answer my lingering questions; about his practice, about thoracic surgery in general, and about Colombian medicine so it was definitely a worthwhile trip..

  Dr. Juan Carlos Garzon, Thoracic Surgeon..

Last week in Bogota

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well, everyone – my visa is expiring, I’ve spent my retirement, I’m physically exhausted, and I need a job – it’s come time for me to return home to the United States. But not before I cram in as many last-minute interviews as possible before my plane takes off in the early morning hours of May 16th.

My only regret is despite interviewing as many surgeons as I was physically able, it just wasn’t possible to meet and talk to all of the thousands (literally thousands) of surgeons here in Bogota.

For my last week, I have some great interviews lined up – going to meet with several more surgeons at Hospital Santa Clara, going to the operating room with Dr. Beltran from the National Cancer Institute and interviewing with the amazing trauma surgeon, Dr. Borraez, inventor of the ‘Bogota Bag’ aka the ‘Borraez Bag.’  I’ll be seeing Dr. Holguin, as well, from the first edition – to catch up as he now lives in Bogota part-time.

I’m still hopeful I’ll be able to slip in and see a few more surgeons – waiting to hear back now..

But I won’t be away from Colombia for too long!  I plan to be back in August, once I’ve completed the arduous task of editing the hundreds of pages of notes, and thousands of pages of additional materials – to present my book, here in Bogota, first – to all the people who have assisted me, took time out of their busy schedules to talk to an unknown nurse, and budding writer.

Even if I never sell a large amount of copies, I feel like I have accomplished a lot – I have brought some well deserved attention to some great physicians.  Many of these people do things, ever single day that would be considered extraordinary at home.  Others have invented or performed procedures that are used around the world to help others.  Others make the world, and Bogota, a better place, just by listening to their patients, giving freely of their time and caring.  That’s no small feat in today’s world of medicine, and for me, no small feat to write about.

I hope that the readers of this book are able to get a sense of the information I am trying to convey, and that it helps them with their healthcare decisions.  If I have done that, and sell ten copies – then I have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.

Thank you to everyone following my blog, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

Interview with Dr. Catalina Morales, Plastic & Hand Surgeon

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Met with the very nice Dr. Catalina Morales yesterday evening to talk about Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery.. Oh – and did I mention hand and maxillofacial surgery..

She’s very enjoyable to interview because she’s one of those people who really finds pleasure in what she does..  She likes to help people with reconstructive surgery, and she enjoys the satisfaction her aesthetic practice gives her patients..

Planning to go to the OR with her today – so we will re-visit the smiling, talented Dr. Morales later this afternoon..

Update:  In the operating room with Dr. Catalina Morales, at Clinica de Marly  7 May 2011

Dr. Catalina Morales at Clinica de Marly

Dr. Morales at Clinica de Marly during hand surgery

I also interviewed Dr. Casallas Gomez over at Santa Fe de Bogota, read about it in another post..

A tribute to Dr. Salomon Hakim

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Dr. Salomon Hakim, the Father of Modern Neurosurgery died yesterday here in Bogota. I never had the privilege of meeting Dr. Hakim, and I was not an ardent follower of his work.

But I did have the pleasure of interviewing his son, Dr. Fernando Hakim . I had heard Dr. Salomon Hakim’s name mentioned in passing, so I had familiarized myself with him prior to meeting Dr. Fernando Hakim, thus I knew of his contributions to the treatment of hydrocephalus,  and the field of neurosurgery, and the development of the Hakim valve.  I had even gone by San Juan de Dios in downtown Bogota, and tried to imagine him, hard at work, in the now deserted halls.

I remember upon my first meeting with Dr. Hakim being daunted by his accomplishments, and then thinking, if I felt daunted by his achievements, what was it like to be the son of Salomon Hakim?

But, Dr. Fernando Hakim – he didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps.. He tread through them, and past them to build upon his father’s body of work, and create new innovations. That is the greatest tribute anyone could ever give Dr. Salomon Hakim, a man who dedicated his life to helping others.

New short on YouTube : The Thoracic Surgeons

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New short film on YouTube featuring many of the thoracic surgeons you’ve seen profiled here on BogotaSurgery.org – Dr. Nelson Renteria, Dr. Stella Martinez, Dr. Andres Jimenez, Dr. Mario Lopez, Dr. Juan Carlos Garzon, and Dr. Ricardo Buitrago.

Hoping the next film is ‘live action’.

Dr. Beltran and Dr. Renteria, Thoracic Surgeons

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Spent a fascinating morning over at the National Cancer Insitute with Dr. Rafael Beltran, the Chief of Thoracic Surgery.  Since the cancer institute is the biggest hospital specializing in cancer treatment – Dr. Beltran sees most of the rare and unusual cancers affecting the chest.  He also have a keen interest in tracheal surgery, and has published (in collaboration with Dr. Barrios) several articles on the topic recently.  (Guess we’ll have to tap into his expertise for a guest publication over at CirugiadeTorax.org)

Hoping to follow him to the OR next week.

Then I spent the afternoon over at Hospital de Kennedy with Dr. Nelson Renteria.

Dr. Nelson Renteria, Thoracic & Vascular Surgeon

Today he performed a VATs decortication for a stage III empyema (which is one of my favorite cases – but that’s another discussion entirely.)  Going back tomorrow to see some of his vascular cases.

Dr. Renteria in the operating room

Meeting of the minds – thoracic surgery

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Attended the monthly thoracic surgery meeting led by Dr. Juan Carlos Garzon yesterday for case discussions.. Several interesting cases presented.  More importantly, I met and set up interviews with the last few thoracic surgeons; Dr. Beltran and Dr. Rodolfo Barrios (that I hadn’t met previously).  Should be an interesting week in the south end of the city..

On the topic of thoracic surgery – I am soliciting articles from thoracic surgeons, and other practitioners on the site – not just here in Bogota, but from around the world as part of the mission of the site.  I’ve already had some great feedback from some American surgeons.

Over at cartagena surgery we are talking about the recent announcement by the International Diabetes Federation on treatment recommendations for diabetes including the endorsement of Bariatric Surgery.

Dr. Nelson Renteria, Thoracic and Vascular Surgeon

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What a delightful afternoon with Dr. Renteria and Dr. Cecilia Villasante (Radiology)!  Dr. Renteria works at the Centro Vascular del Country, which led me to suspect that he may no longer practice thoracic surgery.. But, happily, I was wrong.

While I enjoy meeting all the wonderful and interesting people from all surgical specialties (like the orthopedic surgeons I met with today), I can never deny how much I enjoy talking to people from my home specialties.  Maybe it makes me a little less homesick for my patients because it’s all so familiar.. And it’s always thrilling to meet people who find empyemas,  VATS and all these other things thoracic as interesting and engrossing as I do, especially when you meet people like Dr. Renteria, who still loves what he does as much as I do.  He still enjoys discussing cases, and has a real enthusiasm for his patients.

And – He does esophagectomies!  (Not many thoracic surgeons in Colombia perform esophageal surgery which is kind of like the ‘open heart’ surgery of thoracics*.)  He completed his fellowship training in esophageal surgery at Toronto General Hospital with Dr. Pearson (Dr. F. Griffith Pearson of Pearson’s Thoracic and Esophageal Surgery) and currently does esophagectomies here in Bogota.  (This is much bigger news than it sounds – finding qualified thoracic surgeons that perform an adequate number of esophagectomies can be difficult even in large centers.  Currently, in my home state of Virginia  – University of Virginia is home to the largest esophageal surgery center with three dedicated thoracic surgeons.  Even my beloved Duke only does about 75-76 cases a year.)

So, I admit I lost a bit of my professional cool (if I ever had any).  I was like a kid in a candy store – talking about pre-operative optimization, Ivor -Lewis versus Transhiatal approaches, node dissection and other minutiae that I enjoy.

I must say – I am looking forward to following him to the operating room soon!

** Studies show a significant decrease in morbidity and mortality when esophagectomies are performed by thoracic surgeons (versus general surgeons).

The Department of Orthopedics at Clinica San Rafael

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Dr. Victor Lizcano, Chief of Orthopedics

Spent the day with several surgeons from the Department of Orthopedics at Clinica San Rafael – which has a city-wide reputation for excellence.

Dr. Victor Lizcano, MD is the charming Chief of Orthopedics who opened his busy, 11 surgeon department to me. I watched surgeries, talked to patients, reviewed films, and interviewed the surgeons in his department, with free rein.

Orthopedics surgical team; two instrumentadors and 4th year resident (center)

Dr. Maria Angela Gomez, MD, a busy surgeon who nevertheless took the time to talk to me; manages dual practices; both as a plastic surgeon (at Clinica de Marly) and an orthopedic (hand) surgeon. She’s currently involved in a very interesting research project – tell you more about it later… A very fascinating lady.

Dr. Martha Pincon, MD an orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle surgery, also a very interesting and enjoyable surgeon.

Dr. Martha Pincon, during a complex case at Clinica San Rafael

There’s a lot more to tell – but I have another interview in a few minutes..

The Latest Compilation

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Enjoy – a short ad for the Bogota Guide to Medical Tourism featuring Bogota’s Hottest Young Surgeons – including Dr. Juan Pablo Umana, Dr. Ivan Adolfo Santos, Dr. Juan Carlos Garzon, Dr. Freddy Sanabria and Dr. Felix Castro. If you haven’t heard about Bogota’s best and brightest – you haven’t heard anything yet.

In the OR with Dr. Diego Pineros, cardiac surgeon

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Dr. Diego Pineros, cardiac surgeon

Spent an enjoyable morning with Dr. Diego Pineros in the operating room at Clinica San Rafael, watching him operate on a four-month old girl. Surgery went well, with no intra-operative or post-operative problems.

Spent the remainder of the morning talking about cases, the history of cardiac surgery and seeing patients.

Like many of his counterparts here in Bogota, Dr. Pineros spends his “leisure time” in ways we might not expect. Right now, he is coordinating and arranging for his surgical team to fly to Tolima (300 miles away) to perform several pediatric cases over the weekend. The team will spend several days to make sure their little patients are well on the road to recovery before returning to Bogota, and to another full week of surgery.  When asked about this, Dr. Pineros quickly shrugs off any praise – stating, “they need surgery, and there is no one [at that hospital] to do it.  It’s hard on the families that travel to Tolima [from outlying rural communities] for care.”

Dr. Diego Pineros

Cardiac Surgeon, Clinica San Rafael

Book Advertisement

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Created a new advertisement for the book. Now, obviously for reasons of patient privacy, HIPAA and all of that – we’ve changed the names, and pictures of the people involved. (I did obtain permission from the patient to use surgery photos in print, video and other media).

This is the first in a series of ads for the book, so let me know what you think.

Does it get any better than this?

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Going to heart surgery tomorrow – with one of the nicest people I’ve met since I’ve been here.. (Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all about it.)

Then, later this week, I have an appointment for an interview with a thoracic and vascular surgeon – I always said those two specialties combined are like dynamite..

Does it get any better than this? I’ll let you know.

(Cartagena Surgery News) But it certainly gets worse: over at our sister site we are talking about the financial and emotional burdens placed on Americans due to our failing healthcare system..

(Thoracic Surgery News) We’re discussing robotic surgery at our new Thoracic Surgery Portal:
Saw this on a neighboring blog, talking about robotic lung surgery – but my readers here know that Dr. Buitrago has been training with an American surgeon to offer that treatment here – at Clinica de Marly.

Dr. Diego Pineros, cardiac surgeon, (revisited)

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Clinica San Rafael – Bogota, Colombia

Most of you haven’t heard of Dr. Diego Pineros but I originally interviewed him about three months ago, (long before I set up this website.) He is one the many genuinely nice people I have had the fortune to meet during this trip (and a great tour guide since he knows quite a bit about the history of Bogota). Today, I went back to visit him, at Clinica San Rafael, which is one of several facilities where he operates.

The case for this morning was cancelled, but it was nice to catch up with Dr. Pineros, meet his residents (young future surgeons) and see the clinic itself.

While we were there – we ran into Dr. Mario Lopez (thoracic surgeon) who has now added Clinica San Rafael to his roster. If you remember, we last saw him in the operating room at Mederi.
I tried to get a picture of him (without his mask) but it’s a bit blurry..

Hope to be back at Clinica San Rafael soon, so I will be able to tell you more.