Medical Care & Emergencies

📞 Phone numbers

Emergency / Emergencias: 911

Red Cross / Cruz Roja Orotina: 2428-5051 next to the CCSS clinic. Open 24/7 (call first, might be closed)

Fire brigade / Bomberos Orotina: 2428-5544

Brigada MATPEL Orotina: 2428-5544

Área Salud Orotina CCSS: 2428-7438 / 2428-8894

CCSS Clinic Orotina: 2428-8294 ext. 105 Av. Central, Orotina. Mon–Fri until 10pm, weekends until 6pm. Backup only

Hospital Monseñor Sanabria: 2630-8000 - the hospital keeps the full range of antivenoms 🐍

Fuerza Pública Orotina: 2428-8010

Ministerio de Salud Orotina: 2428-7980

Centro Nacional de Intoxicaciones: 2223-1028

🏥 First Aid & Immediate Help:

• First aid kits are available at the Hive for basic medical needs.
  • EpiPens: There should be one in the first aid kit. If not, Get in touch with Janee, or Michelle.
• Residents are encouraged to stay home if sick to prevent spreading illness.
• Hospitals & Clinics Nearby:
  • Closest Hospital: Hospital Carlos Luis Valverde Vega.
  • Clínica Integral GS Medical Care Orotina: Phone: 24283244 Private medical care in Orotina. More info: Clínica Integral GS Medical Care Orotina.
  • Hospital Monseñor Sanabria Puntarenas are also options
  • Vita line C.R.: Urgent care in Atenas
• Emergency Contacts:
  • 911 is the national emergency number in Costa Rica. — they do speak English if needed.
  • Clinica Bíblica provides private medical care: Clinica Bíblica Website.
  • Ambulance and urgent care services are available through Red Cross (Cruz Roja Costarricense).
• Join the Alegría Emergencies only WhatsApp Chat, especially for people who don’t have a car.

• The Orotina emergency room is located at the corner of the Orotina Clinic.
  It’s a local medical space for urgent care, but it’s not connected to the Red Cross.

🩺 Doctors

• Dr. Edgar Leguizamon, Orotina, WhatsApp: +506 8309 6402 (answers his own messages)
  Private practice for adults and children
  English speaking
  Monday to Thursday: 8 am to 5 pm
  Friday: 8 am to 2 pm
• Centro Médico Dr. Mena, Orotina, WhatsApp: +506 6312 8460, Phone: +506 2428 3532
  Open 24 hours (was told in Aug 2025 that there is always a doctor on duty)

🐍 Snake Bites

🩺 In the rare case of a snakebite (like a terciopelo), here are the steps to follow:

1. Start driving. Do nothing to the wound. Get the patient in a car and head toward Puntarenas Hospital right away. Don't wait for an ambulance to arrive.
2. Call 911 on the way. Explain it's a snake bite, where you are and which way you're driving. Ask them to send an ambulance and agree on a meeting point along the route, so the patient can transfer and continue to the hospital with professional care.
3. Call the hospital ahead (2630-8000). Tell them a snake bite patient is on the way so they can prepare treatment.
4. Backup: Orotina. If you can't reach 911 or no ambulance is available, the CCSS clinic in Orotina is on the way (emergency service until 10pm weekdays, 6pm weekends). It may not have the right antivenom, but it can stabilize the patient and transfer them to Puntarenas. The Cruz Roja is right next door.
5. Warn the team. Tell the rest of the team where the snake was, to avoid another accident.

Important notes

• No tourniquet, cutting, or sucking out the venom. These can harm the patient further.
• Keep the patient still, resting and calm. Avoid any physical effort. There is normally enough time to reach the hospital.
• Don't waste time on the snake. Don't try to catch it, and don't delay to identify it or get a photo. If you already know the species or have a photo, tell the doctors, but they will choose the antivenom based on the patient's symptoms either way.
• Don't go to the EBAIS (local primary care clinic). They don't have antivenom.
• Reassure the person: 99% of snake bite cases in Costa Rica survive. What matters most is getting to the hospital quickly and calmly.

🐍Snakes

Ultrasounds & X-Rays

Centro Radiológico ELOHIM

Dra. Mildred Loria, Orotina, WhatsApp: +506 8910 1429, Phone: +506 2428 7000 (speaks a little English)
Used by many expats for ultrasounds and x-rays.
An appointment is preferred, but it is not necessary in an emergency.
A doctor's note or requisition is not required.
Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm (as provided by the clinic in March 2026)