Deborah got an insect bite on her chest at the end of last week. Over the past couple of days it has become more inflamed and a rash has spread out from it. This morning she decided that she wanted to see a doctor. Armed with her European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) we set off for Vamos Health Centre.
When we arrived we saw that there was sign asking all visitors to wear a face make. Not having had to wear a mask for so long, neither of us was carrying one. However, when Deborah spoke to the receptionist, she gave her one from behind the counter. I opted to wait outside. Of all the people I saw wearing masks, it was two medical staff wearing them with just their mouths covered and noses exposed that were the most amusing.
Given that it was 09:50 on a Monday, neither of us expected the speed of service; within 10 minutes Deborah had been seen by a doctor who said the bite was feeling a little warm and prescribed a course of antibiotics. By 10:10 we had driven into the centre of the town, parked the car, visited the pharmacy (where a face mask was again required) and paid 2.00€ for the prescription Amoxicillin after showing her EHIC again.
After the trouble of even getting an appointment with a doctor in the UK, this was a welcome introduction to the Greek health system.