Slainte (pronounced something like "slaan-shea") is Irish for "health" - and traditionally you will get many wishes for a good health on your vacation. But what if words are not enough? Where do you get help if you should be feeling under the weather? Here are some helpful hints ...
Medicines
Depending on the type of medication you need, you can try tge following;
- Corner Stores, Newsagents and Petrol Stations
Anybody who sells daily necessities will more than likely stock a few standard medications against headaches, sore throats, coughs and congestion. - Supermarkets
Apart from having a comprehensive selection of non-prescription medicines, supermarkets are the place to go for cheap generic aspirin, iboprufen and paracetamol. - Pharmacies and Dispensing Chemists
Quite often announcing their presence by a green cross, only these carry prescription medicines. Note that you will require an Irish prescription and that some medications may not be available as your usual brand name.
Doctors During Daytime
Ask your reception desk to identify the nearest doctor (GP, general practitioner) and phone them for you - this saves time and confusion. You will more than likely be asked to pay cash for the consultation, but this should set you back no more than € 60, often less.
Doctors at Night or on Weekends
Most doctors operate a strict "nine to five, Mondays to Fridays" schedule. Outside these times you must either grin and bear it ... or contact DOC. This acronym stands for "Doctor on Call", an out-of-hours GP service at a central location. Again ask at reception for further details, fees should be at the upper end of the GP scale.
Consultants and Specialists
If you feel that you need to see a specialist, a GP will have to agree first - consultants nearly never accept patients without a referral.
Hospitals - Accident and Emergencies Departments
Strictly speaking hospitals are geared towards extraordinary emergencies, not everyday illnesses - but for a variety of reasons the A&E departments are regularly overrun by patients with minor ailments. A triage nurse will determine the urgency of any new arrival, leading to long waits for some and a speedy reception for real emergencies. You may attend any A&E without referral, a charge of € 60 will be levied.
EMS and Ambulance Transport
In any (possibly) life-threatening emergency you should simply call 112 or 999 and phone for an ambulance - especially if there is trauma, loss of blood, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness or similar. An ambulance will be dispatched immediately and you will then be heading (under professional care) for the nearest suitable hospital. Emergency ambulance services are provided by the Health Service Executive and the Dublin Fire Brigade in the Republic, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service north of the border. Private ambulances are also available, mainly for patient transfers.
Dentists
Ask at reception to set up an appointment - unless you are in actual, severe pain it might, however, be the best course of action to skip a visit until you return home. This should not be understood as a criticism of Irish dentists. It only highlights the fact that any treatment will be temporary more than likely. Meaning you will have to see your usual dentist anyway.
Alternative Medicines
There are a large number of practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Ireland, most of them actually Chinese and having their surgeries in city center locations. Almost every large mall has a TCM outlet these days, offering on-the-spot treatments (massage or acupuncture), long-term therapy and herbal medicines.
Physiotherapists are also widely available, but chiropractors are Comparatively rare.
Other alternative medicines include the whole range from the homeopathic school to new age therapies.
