So Much for National Health Care

After nearly eight months of living here, I have finally had to delve into the mysterious world of Irish healthcare. After 2 weeks of that yeasty feeling, 3 seemingly ineffective OTC treatments and a whole ocean of plain yoghurt, I gave up and made an appointment at the local clinic. After sitting in a typical office waiting room full of people with the most wet, phlegm ridden coughs I've ever heard, I went in to see the Doc. He was a youngish and nice guy but strangely, he didn't examine me, just took my word for it that I've got a yeasty... huh...wonder what he would do if I requested a months worth of oxycontin... He was very nice and did take his time talking to me and doing a few doctorly things like taking my blood pressure and doing that fun p.h. test on a little jar of pee...mmmm. Twenty minutes later though, the fun was over and I was off to the counter to pay for my visit (which is when the true heart attack set in.) €45 yoyos for my little jaunt to the clinic and another €30 for the prescription... Jaysus, Mary and Joseph that's a fat chunk of change for a trip to the MD. It's enough to make me want to drink Echinacea by the gallon and bathe in anti-bacterial soap. Rip-off Dublin rears its ugly head once again...