My travels in the meantime brought me to the stunning island of Sardinia. My destination was meant to be the south of the island. But as it goes, my friend could not join as planned. So I just packed my kites and board and headed north to Palau for a day of Mistral.
On my way from the beach back to town I passed by a sign with a red cross pointing to the right at a crossing in the middle of the dunes. “Deutsche Ärztin” (german doctor) was written underneath. I was exhausted through wind and waves and it was late in the evening but I decided to try and visit her the next day before take-off.
I was lucky to arrive shortly before opening time at her cute little office. It was located in a small typically mediterranean apartment area. Again a red cross and a sign “Dr. Cornelia Seifert – Medico Chirurgo” led the way to the entrance, which would not have been necessary as two very friendly men were sitting on the terrace on the other side in the sun. A few steps down into a loggia with colourful pillows on surrounding stone benches, a small glass door showed opening times and emergency phone numbers. 10-12h and 18-19h, closed on Wednesdays. I was surprised that, when she opened the door, I arrived directly in the small office room. “Because I open from Easter until Halloween, the loggia is enough as a waiting room. It doesn’t get too cold in that period.” Just wonderful.
The small office consisted of an examination bench, a table, a chair and a cupboard with medication packs. A pair of crutches were hanging on the wall. It looked simple but sufficient and reminded me in a nostalgic manner of my parents former office when I was a little kid, before a whole lot of renovation happened.
Dr. Cornelia Seifert was a very nice lady and got these beautifully fresh and happy summer looks. I don’t understand why she did not want to be on the photo. She fits her office with a smile. Originally pursuing a surgical career, she worked in a hospital in Germany, when changes started to happen. She began working for a repatriation company for ill-fallen vacationers. On the canaries signs like the one she owns now crossed her way, saying “German Doctor” on a junction lined with palm trees.
Without really daring to think about it, she went on her own windsurfing holiday to Sardinia s0me 16 years ago. It happened as to many of us, she fell in love. Not only with the place, but with a man, she is still happily together with until the day of today. It made her change her life completely and dare the jump into being a doc holiday.
Back then northern Sardinia was still a developing area, with an infrastructure much more like in a third world country than northern Europe. There was no hospital close by, no properly working ambulance service. But there were a lot of German tourists coming regularly. These even often engaged in sports prone to injury, so she decided a doctor speaking their language would be in need.
To get her German medical degree accepted cost a lot of paper work and translations and took over a year to be officially recognised. She is now registered as a doctor in the Italian medical association. She decided not to be part of the Italian public health care system. As she mainly cares for tourists, she does not need to. This way everything is payed privately, but she relates her rates to what will be paid back by the insurances in Germany.
In the beginning it was a slight struggle, but as a few years passed by, the office began to flourish. More and more people know about the German Doctor in the North now and her website has helped a lot in spreading the information. Her main work consists of family medicine. Dysentery, stomach aches, ear infections, some ill children sometimes. Most of it does not fall into her original field of trauma surgery, but from time to time a dislocated shoulder or small wound makes the former experience worth.
By now she can live from the earnings of the office. She can even close for 3 months during winter time, which is when her husband is also off work. It’s off-season anyway and they head down south to Marokko with their dog and their camper.
Sounds like a good life? Definitely! But please don’t all try to come to Sardinia’s marvellous North. That would make life a lot harder, as it is well sustained as it is now. There are about 4 German doctors in Sardinia, 3 of them in Cagliari. This is just about right. But if you have your own favourite holiday destination or vacation love you don’t want to miss, I am pretty sure Dr. Seifert would strongly support you just pack your bags and follow your dream.