Israeli Healthcare- Still a lot to Learn

I have been in Israel for over 4 years now. During this time I have certainly had my share of "olah chadashah" (new immigrant) moments, like not making an appointment with the dentist AND the dental hygienist or assuming that a landlord will have an apartment painted and fixed up before the next tenant moves in. But in general, I feel acclimated to society. I can ask the right questions when getting a new cell phone plan and understand the sale circular at the supermarket (although this one took a while). However, it appears as though I still have a ways to go when it comes to figuring out the Israeli healthcare system.

When Edden and I were discharged from the hospital I was told to take her to the pediatrician within 10 days. I found a pediatrician and arrived within the allotted time. The doctor said that it was fine that I came then, but that I really must come at the 1 month mark because that is when he will start charting her growth. "No need to make an appointment", he said, "just come."

I made a note in my calendar and prepared another trip. On the given day, I organized a car (the dr. office is about a 20-30 min ride away), got Edden ready and we were off. As I am walking into his office at the same hour that I came 2 weeks earlier, a random woman stops me and says:

"Where are you going?"

In the US I might have found that strange, but in Israel I am used to random people asking me questions even if it seems out of place.

"To Dr. Kleter's office" I replied.

"What, just like this? With no preparation?" she retorts.

Now I am confused. Who is she and why is she grilling me about this doctor?

"Dr. Kleter is on vacation" she finally adds. "Why didn't you call?"

"He said that I didn't need to make an appointment," I responded innocently, "that I should just show up."

"You may not need an appointment, but you have to call and find out if the doctor. is in. He will be back in 2 weeks," she informs me.

At that I just smiled at how ridiculous the whole situation was, thanked her for the information, turned the stroller around and headed home. And so the lesson goes: that even if a doctor says that you don't have to make an appointment, you still must call in the off chance that he is not working during the office hours posted. While it would have made sense to me for the doctor to tell me when I saw him two weeks prior that he would be on vacation between X date and Y date, logic does not always apply, especially when it comes to the Israeli medical system.

I am planning on returning to this doctor on Sunday, but now will call first to make sure that he is fact working. Another lessoned learned.