Guest Post - Dan goes to the Clinic

I'm starting to feel a sore throat coming on.  Probably just allergies.  Take a Zyrtec.  

Hmm, sore throat not getting better.  I wonder what it looks like.  Well, it's red and there's pus.  That's probably not a good sign.  Per WebMD I have strep throat, a yeast infection, herpes, or cancer.  

I've had some fun bouts with Strep in the past, and this lacked the same "oomph" that previous infections provided.  I actually feel fine, but my throat's just an annoyance.  Luckily, ice cold beverages (like beer) make it feel much better. 

Unfortunately, a week of gargling with salt water and partaking in chilly adult beverages isn't doing the trick and the throat isn't starting to look much better. So, that means it's time to test out the Ghanaian health care system.  The country with the system ranked 135 (out of 191) by the World Health Organization.  FYI, the US ranked 37.  

The first challenge - where to go?  A variety of sources are consulted.  Our health insurance, co-workers, Google, and the expat forums.  One that stands out is called Akai House.  

The second challenge - where are they?  For anyone who has read the posts before, location is a persistent challenge in Ghana due to the lack of addresses. Google says that it is just around the corner from where we live, but that conflicts with other sources.  I decided to go with the majority vote rather than Google and hop in a taxi and start directing him.

On the way there, I'm thinking what's the most I'm willing to accept in terms of service?  If they use WebMD, I could end up with some radiation treatment.  Another concern is that it's 100 degrees outside so I'm likely to trigger a fever if they take my temperature.  

Mr. Taxi Driver (not De Niro) turns onto a dirt road.  For such a highly touted health care center, I wasn't expecting a dirt road, but I've been pleasantly surprised before.  Sure enough, there's a sign outside that seems to suggest I'm at the right place.  I pay De Niro and go inside.  I see some people in white jackets - so I'm feeling pretty good that I got here with relatively little problem.  

I ask Nurse Ratchet where I register for the clinic and she kindly mentions that I'm at the wrong place.  The clinic is separate and is (naturally) right around the corner from where we live. I find De Niro 2 and head to where I think the clinic is.  At this point I'm at the complete mercy of Google, because that's my only hope of finding this place.  Luckily, Google succeeds and it turns out the place is pretty nice.  

I walk in and it's a bit crowded.  I'm afraid that what I was hoping would be a "short" trip to get a prescription for antibiotics, will turn into a 5 hour affair.  I talk to the receptionist, and she hands me the registration form - just like the US!

I start to have some hope when I fill out the registration form.  It asks for Nationality and payment method.  A white American paying cash at a clinic next to the American Embassy??  I'm sure to skip some lines - and sure enough, I do.  While I look like Mr. Money Bags, I keep Jen on call in case I need some emergency funding - which I eventually do.

The waiting room, nurse-taking-your-vitals room, and the doc's rooms were all in the "normal" style.  I didn't sit on the exam table with the parchment paper, but everything else was pretty much the same.  

I walked out with drugs that I'd heard of before and were made by companies I was familiar with.  Strangely enough, the drugs might be better here because they aren't generic.  But, as most things go here - I guess we'll see.....