Lifeguard Medical Center

I cannot recommend this private clinic highly enough. They have been an absolute lifesaver for my son and me on so many occasions, whether it was during daytime emergencies or in the middle of the night. From the very beginning of my baby’s life, the entire team has always been incredibly kind, patient, and reassuring. As a mother, feeling heard and supported when your child is sick is priceless — and this clinic delivers that feeling every single time. They have even come to our home when needed, always with the same level of professionalism, warmth, and care. There is no waiting time, the care is fast, efficient, and of outstanding quality, and you truly feel that patients come first. For years now, I have trusted only them. I never hesitate, I never look elsewhere. They are consistently accommodating, attentive, and deeply human — qualities that are sadly rare and yet so essential in healthcare. They fully deserve their excellent reputation. An exceptional clinic with an exceptional team. Thank you for everything you do. I also want to say a warm thank you to Luis and José 🤍

Scammers and con artists taking advantage of tourists. I live in Cabuya. A visiting family member was bitten by a dog. We cleaned and dressed the would ourselves but the ambulance was called. When he arrived he looked at it and said let’s call the doctor and show her pictures. The doctor said you should come and let me stitch the bite and give you antibiotics. The ambulance ride is free but the taxi ride back is not ($50). I asked why we can’t be taken to Cobano which is closer and they lied and told me there was no doctor there. Then we get to Santa Teresa & all they did was clean the would, write an antibiotic prescription (that we can’t get until the next day because everything is closed), and she put one stitch in. They wanted to charge over $650! I understand this is a private clinic, but this is terrible. I would’ve never gone there if I’d have know they overcharge tourists. I highly recommend going to the public clinic instead in Cobano. They would’ve only charged between $60-$150 for the same exact service, and the doctors are very skilled there. In addition the Lifeguard staff lied about us being able to receive antibiotics immediately, because the pharmacy is closed at night and also on Sunday. We would have to go back there on. Monday or go to the free clinic anyway. I don’t agree with the Lifeguard medical centers methods of how they offer you the free ambulance ride to get you there, then they mark up everything because you are stuck there now anyway you have to pay…$90 for one suture, $180 to be seen between 5pm-11pm. The CCSS doesn’t do this, and they will give you the same care. If you’re a tourist avoid going to Lifeguard Medical Center, unless you want to be scammed out of paying 4x the cost of what you should be charged.

This review is long overdue. I have lived in Montezuma for more than 15 years. I have had many experiences with health care here both public and private. However, the Lifeguard clinic beside Ronny Super 1 in Santa Teresa has been the best by far! in 2024, when my husband had a horrific ATV accident in Teresa we called this clinic after waiting more than an hour for the public ambulance which never came. This clinic sent an ambulance and within 5 minutes my husband was receiving treatment. While it was more expensive than the public clinic, when it comes to health sometimes reliability, professionalism and quick response is worth so much more! I also returned to this clinic when I contracted a very strange and debilitating illness. It presented as Dengue and the public clinic diagnosed it as that (without even doing the proper tests), but when the symptoms didn't lessen, I went to the Lifeguard clinic in Santa Teresa. They immediately made me feel better by giving me a clean bed to lay on and some IV saline (something Cobano Clinic didn't even think about). After days of tests and even consulting doctors in San Jose via FaceTime, the doctors at this clinic worked hard to find a cure for my situation. I cannot thank them enough for their understanding and patients and persistence. Even though I pay for Social Security (la Caja) each month and my husband is a Costa Rican, we would both choose this clinic every time over the public clinic in Cobano. Our health and peace of mind are worth it! As for pricing, because it is a private clinic it is obviously more than the public, however you can pay a small fee (I believe 10,000 colones a year) to become a member and receive 30% off of all your visits and bills!!!! Moreover, compared to the other private clinics which start at 35,000 for just a consult, this clinic is way cheaper at only around 25,000.