The crook doctor is institing on unnecessary vaccines

[Eric-Pris 1,607]

My wife is petitioning for her son and daughter to come live with us in the US.

They are 17 and 16, respectively.

They went to the medical exam this morning with vaccination records in hand (all vaccines on the list are done except for flu because their clinic didn't have it) and this thief of a doctor took the $75 exam fee for each, and THEN said that they need another $365 worth of vaccines before he will signoff on their medical. And added that they must get the vaccines from HIM. I know most of these "doctors" are lying crooks so I kind of expected this. Unfortunately, we are not getting there until 2 days before the interview (Sunday for Tuesday), so we would have 1 biz day to take care of this so we have to depend on my sister-in-law to help. Lets just say that she's not the smartest tool in the shed, yet she's the smartest one of my wife's family, so we are stuck. She has no backbone and will not stand up for herself. Costa Rican culture in general is very anti-confrontational, they pretty much let poeple walk all over them and just take it.

We're obviously not paying, so what can we do? I know they can go to another doctor but that would require another $150 exam fees and the bloodwork and xray are being sent to crook #1, so it would get messy on how to get those to crook #2. And crook #2 would probably pull the same scam, so what's the point. Would calling the embassy do any good? I think they probably would not care at all.

Anybody ever dealt with these problems?

[Eric-Pris 1,607]

My wife wants to just pay this crook off. That's why these thieves keep doing it and getting away with it, because people are too scared to stand up to them.

Edited May 21, 2014 by Eric-Pris

[Mark88 184]

This will probaly be your only option, if you want to get things over with. You could contact the embassy and report that a panel physician is overcharging/forcing you to get more then necessary, but that won't solve your problem.

[Avery Cates 1,141]

Which ones, exactly, is the doctor saying they need?

[Eric-Pris 1,607]

Which ones, exactly, is the doctor saying they need?

PNEUMOCOCCAL

VARICELLA

FLU shot--- this is the only one that they actually need since in Costa Rica it's not regularly given like in the US.

[Avery Cates 1,141]

PNEUMOCOCCAL

VARICELLA

FLU shot--- this is the only one that they actually need since in Costa Rica it's not regularly given like in the US.

Pneumococcal is suspect.

Varicella I can see a need for if they've never had the chicken pox.

Flu shot is usually required if it's flu season, but we're out of that now.

You can fight it and report the doctor. He probably like a civil surgeon here and has close to a monopoly as he's one of the few the embassy will take results from. That will take a lot of time, probably be costly, and may or may not get you any success. Or you can pay the man. It's a rub, but that's how those things work in certain countries. In certain places the embassy and government officials need "motivation" to get things done. This is likely no different.

[elgringo954 7]

My fiance will be getting her medical this year, we filed the petition in February and she's currently with me here in the States waiting on it's approval. Not looking forward to the Medical since I can only imagine. But anyway, is there only 3 shots that are required for travel from CR to the U.S.?? And did you say that they wanted $365 for them?? Any update and or recommendations??

[Eric-Pris 1,607]

My fiance will be getting her medical this year, we filed the petition in February and she's currently with me here in the States waiting on it's approval. Not looking forward to the Medical since I can only imagine. But anyway, is there only 3 shots that are required for travel from CR to the U.S.?? And did you say that they wanted $365 for them?? Any update and or recommendations??

There is a list of vaccines that you will get when you are closer to the interview. It's about 10. Some are age-dependent and sex-dependent, so not everybody needs them all.

I will get the list tonight and attach it here. Have her get them from the free clinic and bring documentation.

The problme in CR is that there are only 3 doctors who you can see in San Jose. My stepkids saw Dr. Pardo.

[Eric-Pris 1,607]

Attached are the medical instructions for the medical. It is in Spanish.

Page 3 has the list of vaccinations.

Medical instrucciones.pdf

Edited May 28, 2014 by Eric-Pris

[Eric-Pris 1,607]

Pneumococcal is suspect.

Varicella I can see a need for if they've never had the chicken pox.

Flu shot is usually required if it's flu season, but we're out of that now.

You can fight it and report the doctor. He probably like a civil surgeon here and has close to a monopoly as he's one of the few the embassy will take results from. That will take a lot of time, probably be costly, and may or may not get you any success. Or you can pay the man. It's a rub, but that's how those things work in certain countries. In certain places the embassy and government officials need "motivation" to get things done. This is likely no different.

So, here's how this turned out...

They went back to the doctor's office less than 2 days later with the $360 he requested in the first visit. But when my sister-in-law went to pay he said $180.

She said he's very old and seems a little senile. I think the crook forgot that he quoted her $360 less than 48 hours earlier.

He gave them 3 shots each of something, maybe vaccine, maybe saline, who knows. The fact that the price changed by 50% tells me he's full of #######. He told her everything is ok and gave them a sealed enevlope.

Avoid this guy, seems like you never know what he'll quote you. His info:

Dr. Rogelio Pardo Evans: Clínica de Medicina Interna

De emergencias de la Clínica Bíblica 50 metros al norte

San Jose, Costa Rica

Edited May 28, 2014 by Eric-Pris

[elgringo954 7]

Thanks for all that information. Keep me updated on how all else goes. I will follow up with our physician here in the U.S. since she is here for her to hopefully get what else is needed before traveling back to San Jose with her. Also, I'm going to try to schedule her medical appointment the same week of her interview so we can possibly accomplish all in less than 10 days and fly back together again the States. Did you schedule the interview date close to the medical appointment or that was not of importance??

[Eric-Pris 1,607]

NVC sheduled the interview for my stepkids. Once we knew the date (3 weeks out) we had them go do their medical.

When my wife did her K-1 out of CR in 2008, we scheduled the interview date ourselves.