Dominican Republic
Population: 8.71 million
People: 73% mulatto, 16% European descent, 11% African descent
Language: Spanish
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic
Government: representative democracy
Head of State: President Leonel Fernández
Living in San Cristobal
Stores near the Hospital:
There are plenty of mini grocery stores around the hospital. I like the one across from the hospital on the left corner. You can buy most basic things at these places.
Stores near the Cuduco House:
There is a large supermarket similar to Walmart about a ½ mile from the Cuduco house called Ole. There are also small mini grocery stores 2 blocks away from the Cuduco house; they are grocery stores that are part of a person’s house. The closest is two blocks down from Dr. Cuduco’s house on the left-hand side of the street.
Stats Reporting for Mount Sinai:
Send the weekly stats (major, minor, elective) and morbidity / mortality to Jacqui.Sturgess@msnyuhealth.org every Sunday night for the week.
Blackouts:
Occur everyday. Usually lasting several seconds to minutes in the hospital and up to several hours in the Cuduco house. It may help to bring a small flashlight at night with you. In the Cuduco house, they have backup batteries which usually power the house at night with the blackouts; Dr. Cuduco will usually ask you to turn off unnecessary electrical consumption (ex: fan, computer, non-needed lights).
Destinations to visit:
There may be a lot of down time. Make sure you have a lot to read. Write a paper. Internet. Go to Santo Domingo and walk around the colonial zone. There is a nearby beach in Bani.
Zona Colonial: first cathedral of the New World, Columbus House, find a tour guide in Parque Colon, Zona Colonial (Columbus Park) who speaks English and take a tour.
A great source of ideas for adventures is the Lonely Planet Guide, which is part of the permanent collection at the Cuduco’s.
Dr. Cuduco takes you and his kids occasionally to the beach (Palenqua and Salini beach) and to Trujillo’s houses in San Cristobal.
Iglesia
de San Cristobal
Trujillo’s
House in San Cristobal
Carnival
– Celebrating Independence Day
Beaches:
Aura (Juan Dolio Beach) – East of Airport – about 1.5 hours away from Dr. Cuduco’s – exclusive beach club – need membership – talk to Jose Yunen
Boca Chica – 50 minutes east – tourist area, need car/taxi
Caribbean Sun (Playa Caribe) – small beach, great waves, need car/taxi, near Boca Chica
Palenque Beach – 30 minutes west – locals; can take the bus
Playa Rincon – 5 hours bus ride away on Samana Peninsula; on Conde Nast’s list of Top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world.
Salini Beach – 1 hr west – in Bani – very beautiful with mountain – some areas have coral that you must walk on in order to get to deeper water
Playa
Rincon 
Salini
Beach in Bani
Clubs in Santo Domingo:
Praia – gets going after 1am
Abacus – Zonia Colonial
Loft
Web Sites to know what is going on in Santo Domingo:
Golf places:
La Romana – Casa de Campo – wake up early and play Teeth of the Dog – 2.5 hrs away
Forte
Ozama in Zona Colonial
Taxis in Santo Domingo:
Apolo Taxi 809-537-0000
Mega Taxi 809-681-4444
Rafael Silva Dominican Taxi 809-330-1262
Taxi Anacanoa 809-530-4800
Taxi Express 809-537-7777
Dionisio Cabrera: if you find yourself in Santo Domingo needing a ride to San Cristobal, he is your man.
Getting to and from the hospital:
Dr. Cuduco usually drives to the hospital in the morning. He leaves around 7:30 and on the way drops his children off at school. In the afternoon, he usually leaves the hospital at 12:40 and picks up his children and usually will call you before he leaves. Sometimes he goes to clinic in the afternoon and can drop you back off in the hospital or you can take a taxi there. Usually take a taxi when coming home at night.
The taxi stand in front of the hospital is the easiest one to use. Most of them know where Dr. Cuduco lives and will recognize you by the second day. They are usually very friendly. There are also many motorcycle taxis; however, why take a donor cycle when you can be in a car.
There are 2 taxi companies that you can call to take you to and from the house:
Taxi San Cristobal: 809-528-3696, 809-528-7034, 809-528-2851
Taxi constitution: 809-528-1101
Vidal and Elvis are two drivers who are very friendly and reliable, and work mostly for themselves but work part-time for Taxi San Cristobal. Their numbers are in the cellphone, as is the number of Dionisio Cabrera.
Taxi from Dr. Cuduco’s house to Hospital: 100 pesos +30 pesos tip
Taxi from Dr. Cuduco’s house to Santo Domingo: 500 to 1000 pesos
Taxi from Dr. Cuduco’s house to Boca Chica: 1500 – 1800 pesos
Taxi from Dr. Cuduco’s house to airport: 1000 pesos
All the above taxi numbers are already programmed into the cellphone.
There are several health hazards that you will have to be aware of during their stay in the DR. Dr. Gumprecht has agreed to be our consultant for this manner and will assist in instructing the residents on these issues prior to their departure. Make an appointment for 2 weeks in advance with Dr. Gumprecht (call his office at least a month before to schedule an appointment – he is very busy): 212 427 9550.
· HIV
The 2 health problems I will mention is Malaria and HIV
Malaria: As of February 2005, the CDC has received reports of 21 cases of malaria in travelers to resort areas of the west parts of the Dominican Republic. The CDC currently recommends antimalarial drug prophylaxis – Dr. Gumprecht recommends Chloroquine if you are planning on visiting the northern coasts of the D.R., but is not convinced that we need the prophylaxis if we’re just staying in the area of San Cristbal/Santo Domingo/Boca Chica.
HIV: The prevalence of HIV in the DR is 1.7%, compared to North America where it is 0.6%. Patients planned to undergo elective surgical procedures (including pregnant women) are routinely screened for HIV and hepatitis. In a case where a resident is stuck with a needle and the HIV status of the patient is unknown (as may happen during emergency cases) the resident will have a post- exposure medicine kit with HIV. If you are exposed to a patients blood and do not know his HIV status, you will begin taking a post exposure HIV cocktail until the status of the patient becomes known. There is HIV medication in the call room: Reyataz, Truvada, and Ritonavir (must be kept in fridge).
The blood in the blood bank is screened for hepatitis and HIV.
Human resources Sinai: 212-2417045.
United health care: 866-9366007
Medications present in the DR
Ritonavir – must be in fridge –
Reyataz
Truvada
Peptobismal
Bacitracin
DET
Vaccinations:
–Hepatitis A (get 1st dose 2 weeks before)
–Hepatitis B (you are probably already immune)
–Tetanus (if not up to date)
Private hospitals:
If you become very sick, there is a hospital in Santo Domingo, Plaza de la Salud, which has a 24 emergency room and is widely regarded as one of the best hospitals in the city.
Tel 809-5659989
Address: Plaza de la Salud, Ensanche La Fe, Santo Domingo, DR
Your health insurance policy will provide you with coverage when you are working in the DR. These are considered “out of network” expenses, which means you must pay in cash and bring a receipt back to your insurance company for reimbursement. You will be reimbursed for some of the expenses. The Department of surgery will pay the difference.
Emergency evacuation: Regular health insurance plans do not cover transfer back to the US in cases of emergency. For this purpose we have purchased an additional insurance for emergency evacuation. (“Airmed international”, www.airmed.com, Tel 205-443-4880)
Medications: You will have a medicine kit with basic supplies and medicines. Please keep track of the content of the kit and notify the next person of anything missing.
Medical malpractice
You will be covered by Mount Sinai for malpractice issues. 1 month prior to your departure you must fill out the “request for foreign liability coverage” and fax it to risk management (Tel: Erika Chaikin: 212-2417987, fax number 212-731-3532). See attached form.