This is partly untrue. Dive operations I dove with and worked for and all dive briefings I give remind divers to stay at least 5 minutes away from NDL - this is what I was taught here in Cozumel. We also look at what computers you have, what gas you are breathing and adjust profiles - all this goes on without you even knowing it. There are some real idiots here, as there are throughout the world - but please don't make it out that we all are idiots - there is probably a lot more good ones than bad ones.
This is an insanely serious issue here that is taken seriously. I don't know Henry very well - but I'm sure simply mentioning it to him would have made a difference. It is not something to be tolerated - we try to handle it on the personal level but it can be reprted to the marine park office. When you see something like that - report it to way upper management for whoever you are diving with - not saying anything about it allows it to continue. Sometimes it is simply an older DM needs to sit down a young DM and explain the ways of the world....
Medical care here can be fantastic and it can also be crude. The four big private hospitals (IMO it's three) you vacationers need to be aware of are International, Coastamed, Clinic San Miguel and Amerimed. My mother in law was taken to Amerimed and would have died there with lack of care - why I say there is three. If we had not called our Dr friend who sent the International hospital ambulance and took her there - she would have died. As it was, three fantastic Dr's at International saved her life - the level of care you receive can be just as good as anywhere in the world.
This is an island, not NYC - we have to live with the fact that at 2am there might not be a nerosurgeon on the island - the price you pay to be in paradise. Why a dive Dr. wasn't sent into the hospital that night is strange though.
You aren't in the US anymore either - for good or bad - a lot of times it takes who you know to get things done. Your dive shop operator more than likely has their personal list of who to call contacts for whatever the problem - we called 911 and they almost killed Gma - it took a call to our private Dr to save her. The no taxis at 1:30am is another thing - I have three taxis that run all night long - you need to stand up for yourself and wave your hand - ask the desk clerk, taxis in the parking lot etc.....
If your issue was at Coastamed - I would ask you to contact Andrea Sekula, I'll get her email for you if you need. She is the Gringo goto person that I know of at CMC - I don't know exactly what her job is but she is THE person for us that live here and deal with CMC. She and or the hospital needs to be made aware of issues, otherwise issues just keep on happening.......
What more could DAN have done? They give expert counsel, pay for treatments, and often follow up afterward. You think they should have sent someone to retrieve the doctor?
