What are emergency services like in Costa Rica?

"I'm about 2 miles from my assigned public hospital, Calderon Guardia, and roughly the same distance from two private hospitals, Catholica and Clinica Biblica. For an emergency I would go (and have gone) to the public hospital. It has everything 24/7, and there's no payment expected for admission to the ER. The private hospitals don't necessarily have the right specialists on site and sometimes want cash (in the thousands of dollars) up front to be admitted, even in an emergency. I knew someone who died from a heart attack, probably because she went to a private hospital first and didn't have $20,000 cash on her. At the public hospital, the quality of care is ultimately good on what counts--the docs save lives and patch people up--but it's a real zoo. Patients, maybe you, line the halls since ward space is limited, and yes wards are as good as it gets. Don't expect semi-private rooms, much less TVs, telephones, or internet access. It's like a MASH hospital, just larger, but if you need the ER, it will take care of you. You'll just be glad to get out as soon as you can, and vow to go private if it's not a real emergency," wrote a member who made the move to San José, Costa Rica.

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"We are located almost across the highway from the Hospital de Osa in Cortez. It is a public hospital, 80,000 square feet and offers everything we need for the entire region," explained one expat living in Cortez, Costa Rica.