Ambulance adventure

We woke early and I took advantage of the good wifi to add some photos to my blog. I went out to get breakfast supplies and fetch the addict some coffee from a really busy, large locals place where people were having ice cream for breakfast - my kind of place!

We headed out with the aim of going to the middle of the world and exploring the old town before heading to Columbia tomorrow. Sadly we didn't get too far...less than 100m in fact.

Just around the corner from our hostel, Anna tripped over the uneven pavement and felt her ankle go pop. Her screams attracted some kind people who phoned for an ambulance.

A red cross Jeep turned up, put her leg in a brace and loaded her onto a stretcher and put her in the ambulance. Then we waited for quite a while as they were on the phone to see where to take her. Eventually we headed to a hospital in the historic centre. It took 3 trips round the hectic one-way system before they worked out how to get there! Nice to have a free tour of the sights!

Once there, a lady came out to examine it and said they have no x-ray so sent us to another hospital where they took Anna's details and sent us to the x-ray room. We knocked on the door but nobody answered - turns out he was on holiday! The red cross guys were muttering about public hospitals being underfunded.

So we went to another hospital where it was x-rayed and luckily there was no fracture. Then we returned to the second hospital and the red cross guys said goodbye - they were fantastic, despite the younger one whacking Anna's ankle as he tried to open the door and then again with his clipboard!!

A very lovely, touchy-feely doctor examined it, gave her a pain injection and bandaged her leg with a plaster-cast type thing on the back of the leg only, for support. Then we got a taxi back to the hostel ($5) and Anna managed to hop up the 2 flights of stairs.

I went to Cafe San Blas to pick up a couple of pizzas for $3 each plus a bar of chocolate as medicine for the patient!

We were extremely impressed by the medical service - apart from the farcical lost driving, multiple hospitals and ankle whacking!! We didn't pay a penny and everyone was absolutely lovely despite obviously being overworked - the hospitals were rammed with people. The whole experience took about 5 hours - you can obviously pay for private treatment and get quicker service but it wasn't serious and the insurance company is already dragging its heels over my costs.

We had hoped to be in and out of Quito quickly but looks like we are hanging around a bit longer. I shouldn't have said to Anna the other day: 'we're leaving Ecuador soon so if you want any medical treatment now is the time'.Read more