Medical/Health considerations

Pierre Auger Project
Pampa Amarilla Observatory

Medical/Health Considerations to Travel to Malargüe

All the Collaborators going to the Malargüe site must have both workers compensation (work-related) insurance, and adequate private (non work-related) health insurance.

Work-related injury/illness

Verify that your worker's compensation coverage is in effect while on travel.
Discuss the proper methods of reporting work-related injuries and illnesses to the home institutions.
Discuss procedures for billing work-related medical expenses.
Obtain a medical contact number and worker's compensation insurance contact number, in case you need a telephone consultation about a work-related medical or insurance question.

Non work-related medical needs

Verify that you have adequate non work-related medical insurance.
Find out what your medical insurance carrier expects if you need emergency medical care and what they expect if you need non-emergency medical care.
Discuss billing procedures with the medical insurance company for expenses (both energency and non-emergency) incurred while on travel.
Discuss any special needs with your personal physician before beginning the travel.
Verify that you have an adequate supply of any prescription medication and have a way to replace a lost supply.

Availability of medical facilities.

Malargüe

Malargüe has a hospital and a clinic. The hospital provides public health service and the clinic is a private health service provider.
There is 24-hour emergency room, and ambulance service.
Minor surgery, e.g. appendectomy, can be performed at the local hospital
Malargüe serves as "hospital" center for Las Leñas, the international sky resort. Some physicians work there.
Most medications, e. g. cardiac medication, are readily available at the seven pharmacies of Malargüe. Locally unavailable medications can be brought in from San Rafael, Mendoza or Buenos Aires.
They have the ability, in case of major accident, to stabilize and transpot according to need.
There are about 25 Doctors procticing in Malargüe; this includes some part-time physicians.
There are many specialists available, including a gynecologist.
Some physicians have 24-hour services, including home visits.
Physicians have used local translators according to need,
They have had no problems receiving direct payment from foreign insurance companies.

San Rafael

There is a fully equipped first class surgery center at the Hospital in San Rafael, where cardiovascular surgery is performed. This site is some 200 km away from Malargüe; about one and a half hours by ambulance.
Neurosurgery cases are transported to San Rafael after stabilization.

Other facilities

Mendoza, a major city, is about four hours by ambulance.
Medical evacuation airplanes can be brought in from Buenos Aires.

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Last update: 07/Jul/2009 by Rosa I. Pacheco