The International Schools Review Forum

I'm breaking contract and going back to the states for at least a year, due to family health problems. But one thing that is helping to drive me away from Brazil, at least the backwater where I am, is that I cannot get medications that I require, even when they are prescribed by a physician. I have tried many pharmacies, and they simply don't carry what the doctor prescribed (and this is the cheaper generic version of the medication).

From reading online reviews, it is apparent that many schools do not cover much beyond emergency coverage (breaking a leg and such). I'm fine with paying prescription costs, but I'd like to know which countries have decent health care services, such that common medications are available at pharmacies.

To help the discussion, places I would like to eventually go, after the family health situation is resolved, are Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, and possibly Indonesia. Anywhere in western Europe is also attractive, but I'm also not concerned about the health care coverage in those places. Israel is also a possibility.

Madagascar sounds wonderful, for example, but I can be quite certain that I would be out of luck getting my prescriptions there.

I worked in Thailand for a few years - health care was always great and covered by the school, which is one of the main reasons I'm returning.

China sucks - healthcare here (outside of Shanghai and Beijing) ranges from poor to non-existent, but it really depends on where you are and what type of school it is.

It's not on your radar, but for the benefit of others: Ecuador has surprisingly good health and dental care. I could buy all my maintenance meds at the pharmacy without a prescription, usually generics at a much lower cost than the co-pay would've been in the U.S. When I had a knee injury, the doc sent me across the street to the hospital for an MRI; I just walked in, paid about $200, and got it then and there. He diagnosed a torn meniscus and put me in physical therapy, hoping to save me from surgery. And it worked. Great PTs.

A colleague with a lot of chronic medical issues said she always got better care in Ecuador than in the U.S. A friend with a broken crown was able to see a dentist after hours and got a new crown in a few days, for less than he would've paid in Canada.

The issue is really less what region your in, but how decentralized you are. Being in a rural area anywhere is going to see a significant drop in available medical resources. being in a less then 1st world country is also an issue. Even in the more rural areas of Germany for example, medical care and . are still readily available. Try moving to WE, or a more metropolitan/cosmopolitan city in Asia.

I'm in Jordan, which is technically a third world country, and I've been very impressed with the health care. Most meds are over the counter, you can get a same day appt with a good doctor, and, what isn't covered by insurance is really cheap.

We are in Korea and it seems to be easy to get whatever you need.