Hi friends! Costa Rica is slowly but surely coming to an end. I have really been enjoying the culture of the Ticos (Costa Rican people). Everyone is so kind, patient and understanding despite the language barriers. I have had fun exploring La Fortuna as well and we even got a perfect view of the Arenal Volcano.
Arenal Volcano
My internship has also been going. I learned that clinical needs finding is much more complicated than I initially anticipated. Regardless, it has been very interesting to learn about the Costa Rican health system. I learned that the social security system often involves legal cases in order to get access to very expensive medications for spinal muscular dystrophy. However, when these cases are appealed, the patient usually wins and will get the medication regardless of the cost (which can be a whopping $100,000 per dose). I found it interesting that the system relies on the altruism of citizens who all contribute to the system.
I am continuing to work on validating needs and observing some very interesting cases in the hospital. One interesting case was a little 3 year old boy who could not walk. He was hyperactive and really liked playing with his toys. However, he started screaming if he was asked to walk because he had a traumatic fall a few weeks prior leaving him fearful of walking. The medical team is still investigating the root cause of the issue. I will keep y’all posted! Aiman out 🙂