Medical and Dental Care in Roatan

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Heath care is readily available on Roatan – and you may be shocked at how low the costs are compared to costs in the U.S.! Some expats who move to the island retain some sort of healthcare plan back home, however minimal it may be. Many expats choose to purchase comprehensive health insurance with an international plan. There are also local plans that just cover insurance in Honduras. Many people don't have insurance and just use the local doctors and hospitals and pay cash. The costs are pretty reasonable compared to the U.S., typically only about 10-25% what you would pay in the States. 

For standard health issues, the clinics on the island are more than sufficient. 

The public and private hospitals in Coxen Hole are both good for emergencies as needed. The public hospital facility is not great, but the doctors are good and they are the same as the ones in the private hospital. It is also basically free at the public hospital. There is also a brand new hospital built at the MegaPlaza in French Harbour as of 2015. It was constructed in partnership with GARM and Hospital CEMESA, based on the mainland. There are almost always doctors from the U.S. working in Clinica Esperanza (often called Nurse Peggy's clinic), located in Sandy Bay. There are several Honduran doctors there as well and they are quite good. If you want to wait in line at the clinic, a visit is $3 and if you want to go in quicker, you can pay a $25 donation for expedited service. Medicine is free, if they have what is prescribed. If not, you can go to a local pharmacy; there are several in Coxen Hole, one in West End, and several in French Harbour. Sometimes Clinica Esperanza has less common medicines that are not available in the pharmacies, but they are entirely dependent upon donations as they function as a nonprofit. 

There are also several other clinics around the island. The one at Anthony's Key Resort started as primarily a SCUBA diving medical clinic with two chambers for decompression sickness, and it is also now a public hospital with nurses and physicians on staff to attend to tourists and local residents alike. The Soto Cano air base on the mainland houses U.S. military personnel on a strictly humanitarian mission at this point. They have an agreement with the local medical professionals on Roatan to use their air ambulance helicopter. If you need to be evacuated, they will fly you over to the nearest hospital on the mainland. All of the medical clinics and hospitals have that option available to them and a simple phone call from the medical staff will begin the process as needed.

Although Roatan is an island, being only 40 miles off the coast of Honduras means you don’t have too far to go for more hospitals. Anything that cannot be handled on the island can most certainly receive attention at any of the larger mainland facilities. Much like if you lived in a rural area of the U.S. but needed specific treatments only found in a city hospital, sometimes you need to travel to get the particular care that you need. Parrot Tree Plantation hosts the GARM (Global Alliance for Regenerative Medicine) Clinic, which is utilizing stem cell therapy primarily for patients with long-term illnesses and ailments, including diabetes, arthritis, orthopedic and spinal pain, and cancer. Their alternative treatments have been bringing more and more people to the island in recent years. 

To explore insurance options, there are several agents on the island who would be glad to chat and discuss your needs. Let me know if you need referrals.

Contact Numbers:

AMBULANCE:

Alert Inter. Rescue WB 9472-9790 

AirEvac Intern. WB 9560-9945 

Bomberos DC 3399-4510 by Madeyso 

Bomberos OR 3399-4722 by Punta Gorda 

CEMESA FH 9446-0097 Mall Megaplaza 

COPECO DC 9590-0001 

Cruz Roja 9995-1943 

Island Med Clinic CH 9875-1047 

Paramedic 504 WB 9535-9908 

UNIMED WE 9560-9945 

EMERGENCY:

Alert Inter. Rescue WB 9472-9790 plane 

Bomberos DC 3399-4510 by Madeyso 

UNIMED WE 9560-9945 

Bomberos OR 3399-4722 

COPECO DC 9590-0001 

Cruise Ship Emergency 2445-1627 

Dive Emergency 9450-3253 

CMR LF 3325-2911 

Island Med Clinic CH 9875-1047 

Roatán Hospital CH 2445-1227 

Roatan Medical C. CH 3173-3257 

Woods Medical Center CH 2445-1080 

MED-EVACS:

Alert Inter. Rescue WB 9472-9790 

Island Med Clinic CH 9875-1047 

International Care WB 8926-6563  

Paramedic 504 WB 9535-9908 

UNIMED WE 9560-9945 

POLICE:

Antinarcoticos LF 9556-4076 Rody Moreno 

Atencion al Ciudadano LF 9637-6414 Olga Lobo 

Border Police FH 2455-6000 Border Protection 

CODEM Muni. 9778-3827 

DPI LF 2455-6449 Criminal Investigation 

Municipal Police CH 2445-0446 

National Police LF 9940-0320 

Preventiva Coxen Hole CH 9950-1546 Henry Huete 

Preventiva Flowers B FB 9966-6101 Karen Guzmán 

Preventiva French H. FH 3379-9291 Yuri Orellana 

Preventiva Guanaja 8925-4894 Carlos Irias 

Preventiva Los Fuertes LF 3263-4588 Rita Bertrand 

Preventiva Monte P. MP 9742-4147 Ardon Ardon 

Preventiva Santos Gu. SG 9928-7460 Salgado 

Preventiva Utila 3239-2135 Herrera Banegas '

Preventiva WE y WB WE 9691-6117 Meléndez Guzmán 

Tourist Police WE 2445-4223 

Transit Police CH 2445-3420 

Transit Police LF 2455-6471 License, Tickets 

Tránsito LF 3328-2678