I’ve just returned to reality after 10 days living in the land of flu, which served to remind me of one important thing: how great Spain’s public health system is. You feel ill, you call the doctors in the morning, they see you that same day, for free, and prescribe you medicine that you only have to pay a tiny percentage of.
OK, so that’s the same all over most of Europe, but I just wanted to point out again how fast and efficient the whole process was. Can’t say the same for the flu unfortunately. It was slow, and annoying.
Back to another of my favourite gripes (I think that might have been a bilingual pun!), Being pregnant is a fag in Spain is the title of an interesting article in today’s Telegraph, in which Michaela Rossi can’t believe the attitude to smoking and pregnancy/kids in Spain. It’s a good read, and seems totally accurate.
Fortunately for Michaela and other parents (like ourselves) who don’t like mixing kids and smoke, the health minister, Trinidad Jiménez, has been out this morning promising once more that there will absolutely be a full smoking ban in closed public spaces, including restaurants and bars, in 2010.
Let’s hope it’s early 2010! And in the mean time, Melissa, don’t forget downstairs in Casa Mingo.
Notes from Spain by Ben Curtis 