Three large Social Security system hospitals provide San Jos? with round-the-clock emergency care with regular hours for laboratories, X-rays, pharmacies and doctor's appointments. These are the Calder6n Guardia, San Juan de Dios and Mexico.

Some private hospitals are:

Sima Hospital

Clinica Biblica

Clinica Catolica

all excellent hospitals, the Hospital Cima being the newest and most modern offering the same services as the government hospitals, but with no waiting for elective medical care. Next to the Clinica Biblica is the Clinica Americana, an office complex with a group of English-speaking doctors, most of whom did residency in U.S. hospitals. The KOP Medical Clinic in Escazu specializes in treating foreigners, with a staff that speaks English, French, Spanish and Japanese. They offer a wide range of services, including obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and dermatology.
Note that clinics usually indicates private hospitals or clinics, available to anyone, including foreigners. Government facilities will treat tourists and foreign residents in their emergency clinics at no charge. Even illegal aliens are eligible. Some emergency rooms specialize; for example Hospital Mexico specializes in heart attacks and San Juan de Dios has a burn center. Most other towns of any size will have a hospital and those that are too tiny will have a doctor with emergency equipment to handle problems.

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