Another Reason for Learning Spanish: Medical Emergencies

article from May 14, 2012

by Julie R Butler

Recent events have highlighted an important aspect that anyone considering living in a country where a different language is spoken should add to the list of things to think about – especially for those who are getting up in age or have medical needs that will require attention at some time or another.

It is easy to assume that when it comes to medical attention, doctors, who are obviously well-educated individuals, will have some English skills. Well, they usually do know some very basic English. But unless you are in a well-established expat community or a medical tourism destination where English speakers are specifically catered to, if you do not have a good command of the local language (or know someone who does who can go with you to the hospital at a moment’s notice), you may be putting you or a loved one’s very life at risk.

Medical tourism

There are many medical tourism destinations in Mexico that are located in the major cities, tourist resorts, expat hotspots, and just over the border. In Central America, San José, Costa Rica, and Panama City, Panama, are major medical tourism destinations, as well as serving the large expat communities in those countries.

In South America, São Paulo is a well-established mecca for cosmetic surgery, while doctors in Buenos Aires took advantage of the fall of the Argentina peso in 2002 to establish the city as an attractive destination for international aesthetic tourism.

In recent years, many other major cities throughout Latin America have also been striving to grow their medical tourism infrastructures, offering the medical services that people will travel to from more affluent countries in order to take advantage of lower costs or receive care that may not be readily available in their home countries. The services that are on offer are, of course, elective procedures that generally fall into the categories of dental, cosmetic, and therapeutic.

Beyond medical tourism

It is important to realize, however, that these medical tourism services are only one part of the medical infrastructure of any given place, and outside of these areas, there is no guarantee that English will be spoken by medical professionals in hospitals or clinics. In fact, it is highly recommended that medical tourists inquire into what will happen in case of an emergency by looking into the general state of health and medical facilities there as well as ascertaining whether or not language assistance will be extended by the medical tourism facility. The US Department of State travel website has an assessment of medical care in every country.

For expats who are not living in established expat communities or in locations where English-speaking is an important component of the medical system, it is a good idea to learn or at least know where to find some medical terminology. A good place to start is this Medical Spanish Dictionary. The site is easy to use, with both English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English dictionaries, a listing of medical vocabulary, anatomical illustrations, useful phrases for talking to a medical professional, and basic Spanish vocabulary words that are not medical but will be needed in a health care setting.

It is not easy to learn a foreign language, and many of us manage to get by at a level that is sufficient for everyday life. But perhaps the prospect of needing to be relatively competent in a moment of panic will be motivation for you to get to work on that Spanish!

Julie R Butler is a writer, journalist, editor, and author of several books, including Nine Months in Uruguay and No Stranger To Strange Lands (click here for more info). She is a contributor to Speakout at Truthout.org, and her current blog is Connectively Speaking.

email: julierbutler [at] yahoo [dot] com, Twitter: @JulieRButler