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Medical Directory of Costa Rica:

Costa Rica's most comprehensive online directory of Medical Doctors and Surgeons, Medical Specialists, Dentists, Healthcare Professionals, Alternative Healthcare Providers, Hospitals and Clinics with links to worldwide medical databases and the Internet healthcare information base.

Costa Rica's socialized medical system has been extremely successful at keeping the diseases that plague most tropical countries. Through a system of education and preventive medicine, Costa Ricans enjoy a life expectancy comparable to that of North Americans. Such health standards is one of the reasons that visitors feel so comfortable in Costa Rica.

If you do happen to need medical attention, first rate care is available at any of Costa Rica's public hospitals and private clinics. You can even pay with your credit card at private clinics in San José. Medical care is actually surprisingly inexpensive, which has spurred a minor but growing trend of medical tourism. Foreigners who require medical treatment not covered by insurance in their respective countries often head to Costa Rica for treatment, where the cost is less than half of what they would pay at home. A growing number of high quality cosmetic surgery specialists regularly treat foreign patients.

Emergency lines

When traveling to Costa Rica or any other destination, make sure to always have on hand a list of emergency telephone numbers, and always inquire about the health system and any other useful inofrmation related to your health and safety.

In case of emergency, dial 911 from any telephone in the central valley (San José, Cartago, Heredia, Alajuela). while this service is not fully operative in the provinces of Guanacaste, Limón and Puntarenas, dialing it will redirect your call to the nearest hospital or police station. The service offers a bilingual operator 24 hours a day.

Medical Assistance

While in the capital, several hospitals and health centers are available:

Clinica Catolica (2225-5055) in Guadalupe

Clinica Americana (2222-1010) in downtown San José

Clinica Biblica (2257-5252, 2257-0466) also in downtown San José

KOP Medical Clinic (2228-4119) in San Rafael de Escazú

All these places offer services in English, Spanish and sometimes other languages.