jerezano
Nov 3, 2003, 8:30 AM
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Hello All,
This year the Mexican Government is running a free preventive medicine program through the IMSS (Instituto Mexicano de Seguridad Social). A qualified person does NOT need to be a member of IMSS.
In my case I went to IMSS, spoke to the receptionist, told him that I needed a flu shot and that I was not a member of IMSS. For those of us who don't speak Spanish the phrases are:
Necesito una inoculación contra la gripa, and no soy miembro de EEEMS (one sylable)-IMSS.
The receptionist sent me to a door marked Medicina preventiva. A group of seven people in front, but I knocked on the door and when a nurse answered I told her the same thing. She indicated that I should wait in line. Some 15 minutes later as the people went in and came out, the person in front of me went in. When she came out and the nurse was looking for the next patient, (I now had new people behind me) I stood up, told her I beleived I was next >Creo que me toque< and followed her inside. She told me to sit down, and while I took off my shirt another nurse prepared the shot. Just before she gave it to me, since she did not ask me if I was allergic to eggs or did I have a cold, I told her anyway: No tengo alergia contra los huevos and No tengo un resfriado. She gave me the shot and asked if I needed the pneumonia shot. I told her I had it three years ago: La tuve hace tres anos. She said good, that I didn't need another for two more years and went away. The Nurse Receptionist needed two items of information for her records. My name and my birthdate. In your case she may ask for your IMSS card. Tell her you don't have one and offer her some other document (your driver's license, your FM3, or anything that has your name and birthdate. If not, then you will have to struggle with her by writing them out on some scrap of paper.
I offered payment which was refused. I offered a donation which was refused.
Now this is the way it is supposed to work. If they tell you somewhere along the way that you need to be a member of IMSS, then you are out of luck, unless you are able to speak Spanish sufficiently to convince them you know that the program is gratis for all qualified.
Good luck. Jerezano.
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