I'm writing this sitting in my car waiting for a friend of mine to come out of A and E at Covilha hospital.
She'd somehow managed to fall off her motorbike and thinks she's broken her finger, maybe fractured her wrist along with a few other minor scrapes.
It's kind of a reminder about how relatively isolated we are out here - she stacked her bike right outside her land, literally a five minute walk down the road, managed to get it out of the ditch and back there with help from another friend and then called me to drive her to the hospital.
The problem is I don't get a reception on my land where I was at the time and didn't pick up the call until 2.5 hours after she sent it (when I hit reception I had five missed calls!).
I guess the injuries aren't life threatening, but I don't imagine it was pleasant sitting around in pain for 2.5 hours either, and then it's a 30 minute drive to the nearest A and E department as the local one doesn't have such a thing!
I'm not sure how long she's going to take to get her finger and wrist sorted, the car park is pretty empty and I know the Portugues health service is pretty efficient, and i'm quite happy sitting in my car hot-spotted doing what I'd be doing this evening anyway!
And there's a few other people sitting around in cars waiting to pick people up too, enjoying that weird kind of solidarity-in-other-people-suffering kind of way!
I've just got to remember NOT to have a life threatening accident, I'd probably have just as much trouble sourcing someone to take me to A and E and I don't think the 30 minute drive would help my survival chances either!
It's just a shame I don't have a means to chill the beers in the back of car for when we get home!
Hope your friend is okay. One of the risks of living somewhere remote is getting injured. Be extra careful when working your land on your own.
Be safe and stay well.
She should be fine!
I am careful, don't worry i respect the tools!
I think the trick is, if you need something dangerous done, hire it out. That way somebody else gets hurt. And, you are there to help. Or, always have a witness handy when your safety is at risk. This is a compromise that should be made for living in a remote area. 😜
That's not a bad idea! Or at least have other people around when doing anything risky!
First of, at least it isn't life threatening or anything like that, even though a broken finger sounds really painful. I wish her a speedy recovery.
espero que tu amigo este bien y si es cierto que tiene fractura, bueno que tenga mucha paciencia y cuido para que su hueso sana bien, y gracias a dios que su pías cuenta con un buen sistema de salud , porque el de mis pais es patético, mi hijo de tres años se fracturo el fémur y pase días amargos en el hospital.
/English/
I hope your friend is well and if it is true that he has a fracture, well that he has a lot of patience and I take care so that his bone heals well, and thank God that his pías has a good health system, because that of my country is pathetic , my three-year-old son fractured his femur and spent bitter days in the hospital.
(Spanish/ English) espero que lo que tenga tu amigo no sea grave, y gracias a dios que su pais tiene un buen sistema de salud, porque el de mi pías es patético, mi hijo de 3 año tiene una fractura de fémur y fue horrible y desesperante la estadía en el hospital .
I hope that what your friend has is not serious, and thank God that his country has a good health system, because my pías is pathetic, my 3-year-old son has a femur fracture and the stay was horrible and exasperating at the hospital
They were pretty efficient! It sure does help having a decent health care system!
Get well soon
Speedy recovery to your friend.
Thats a long wait for any type of injury.