Hospital Visit in Novi Sad, Serbia

A Hospital Visit in Novi Sad, Serbia

As a tourist, one of the biggest worries is getting sick in a foreign country. At Novi Sad, Serbia, we had the experience of visiting its hospital.

Clock Tower at the Fortress, a landmark of Novi Sad

A few days after we landed in Europe, Stan felt his right ear was burning and itchy.  By the time we got to Novi Sad, his ear looked red and nasty.  Fearing that the infection might spread further to the ear we went to the local ‘Apoteka’ ( Pharmacy) for advice. ( Apparently, this is what local people do with minor medical concerns.) The pharmacist took a look at Stan’s ear and we asked her to recommend him an antiseptic cream which Stan applied to the affected area for a couple of days.  The cream seemed to make the itchiness go away but some scabs was formed and the infected area still looked like an open wound.  As we still have more than 2 weeks of vacation ahead of us, we felt that it was far saver to seek proper medical help locally.  We asked Lillian, our friend from Serbia, to help us to go to the local clinic/hospital to consult a doctor.   She right away agreed to take us to the local public hospital/treatment centre.  It is a very large complex of buildings for a city with 400,000 people. 

At about 9:30pm local time, we went to the emergency clinic at the hospital where only a handful o people were waiting. Thanks to Lillian’s fluent Serbian, Stan got an examination from the doctor in charge in about 15 minutes.  This speedy response is amazing to us as we are used to a wait of 5 hours or more in the emergency intake area in Toronto.  The doctor and nurse looked at his right ear and referred the case to a specialist.  The Serbian medical system requires that specialists are available to treat patients at any time of the day.  It’s amazing that a dermatologist is available to attend to a non-life threatening, non-emergency case such a Stan’s in the middle of the night.

 Lillian led us to another building where the dermatology department was located. We ran the door bell and a nurse opened the door to meet us. Lillian explained to the nurse and after  a few minutes we were met by the doctor and her nursing team.  Since there was no one waiting for treatment, Dr. Bojana looked at his ear right away.  She checked the ear and told us in fairly good English that Stan got a bacterial infection. Under the doctor’s directions,  a nurse immediately sprang into action and skillfully treating the affected area with an antiseptic solution.  The previous hideous looking scabs were gone and Stan’s ear looked just a good as before!!! It was like a miracle!

Dr. Bojana gave Stan a prescription and showed him how to treat the wound and apply the antibiotic ointment. We were very thankful to her prompt attention to Stan’s condition as well as her professionalism and caring attitude.  This is in spite of the fact that, as a Principal Specialist Doctor at the Hospital, her pay is only a paltry 700 – 800 Euro a month!   We were so touched that we offered to pay her cash for her excellent work.  She refused firmly our offer and we later on sent her flower and a thank you card.  The attending nurse also shared her exemplary attitude  by treating Stan’s ear with care and professionalism. She was very gentle and caring and Stan did not feel any pain at all when she treating him.

The whole scenario from going to the emergency dept. until Stan’s ear was treated took about an hour and half!  We were truly grateful of the personal attention, efficiency and competency of the medical treatment Stan has received in Nova Sad, Serbia! Because of this excellent medical service, our holiday has not been ruined and we could continue our long anticipated vacation in Europe.

Thank you to Dr. Bojanna and her medical team at the Novi Sad Hospital! 

We feel that their attitudes are typical of the average Serbians we have met.  Despite the relative economic hardship, they go about their daily lives with grace, dignity and a capacity for the enjoyment of life.  The cafes are full in the downtown marketplace.  Their music is joyful and vibrant and they appear to be able to enjoy life to the fullness.

As a couple of North Americans travelling through Europe, Stan and I reflect on the abundance of material possession we have in our society.  Are North Americans better served in terms of our social, educational and medical needs? Are we happier and having a better quality of life?  From what we have observed, we seem to be more isolated; everyone staying in our comfortable spacious living quarters and yet less able to have face to face social interactions in piazzas, public squares etc. I am now beginning to understand what Lillian told me before about her life in Serbia, her walks after dinner along the Danube,  meeting with her friends at the squares and the outdoor cafes etc. It is a good way to enjoy life!

R & S. T.

Novi Sad, Serbia

Aug. 12, 2012 late at night