Healthcare in Geneva

I thought I should fire this thing back up, as the summer distractions are now well and truly gone. So this post is about doctors, in Geneva, and the one I'm seeing at the moment who is making me laugh. Way back in August I crashed off my bike, high siding and landing on my hand. At the time I decided it was only a flesh wound, so carried on with slight soreness that seemed to be getting better, that was until I was doing pull-ups in the gym (will cover in another post), and made me and the two guys I was working with almost throw up as my wrist made a huge cracking sound.  The sort of sound that tells you, really, you should go see a doctor. So I did.


My general practitioner seems nice and friendly, despite the fact that he has hands like you'd see on a Bond villain; dry, smooth pale, slightly puffy and perfectly manicured.  But where I have a problem is my radiographer. He clearly has a conflict between making a good diagnosis and making money. My GP sent me to see him a week ago for an MRI, following that he told me I had probably fractured a bone in my wrist and he'd send the results to my GP the next day.  So I booked an appointment with the GP for two days later, and when I got there the response was "films, what films?"

I've been told that the Swiss medical system is great, because it's universal (it's illegal not to have insurance), but private. I agree, this is wholly justifiable in many cases, but when one of your consultants is so incompetent as to be unable to get a set of films transported a kilometre down the road, you begin to wonder how much of a discount you should be negotiating for you or your insurance company. My GP sent me to an orthopaedic physician, who also didn't get the films I asked to be sent to him, making my appointment with him nearly a waste of time. In fact, it was a waste of time, the radiographer did fax him some notes saying I needed to have a CT scan, because my MRI was inconclusive. See what I mean about the balance between making money and a good diagnosis.

Today I had my CT scan. Turns it's not a fracture, it's ligament damage. Hilariouly, because it's ligament damage, I'll need another scan, says he! He'll send the data to my orthopaedist tomorrow, but I don't hold my breath. I'll book a slot with the bone guy when I know he's got the films, otherwise it'll be me sending the bills, not the doc.