Dominica - Prices of Commodities and Medical
Commodities prices
Dominica commodities are coming from the main agricultural products. Local subsistence goods are few with higher prices.
Eastern Canadian dollar is the local currency, the East Canadian dollar and the US dollar, euro are freely convertible. Dollar convertibility 2.67 EC $ (fixed exchange rate). Since March 1, 2006, the government put 15% value-added tax on goods and services.
Bank and Financial sector are developing well. Supermarkets will accept credit card and check payments. Usually small shops accept only cash.
Medical Insurance
The medical standard in Dominica is low. Only the capital, Roseau and the second largest city Portsmouth, have two hospitals. Hospital equipment is below standard with shortage of medical staff. Medicines are imported from the United States, France and other countries.
Drugs provided by public hospitals are usually free. If the prescribed drug cannot provided by public hospitals, patients are required to purchase them at pharmacies on their own expense. There have private clinics. Local people also use local herbs for treatment. Foreigners enjoy the same treatment as local people when seeing doctor, no stringent Medicare requirements.
Upon the request of the Dominican government, the Chinese government sent numbers of medical experts, to work in the Princess Margaret Hospital to assist to develop the local medical and health work.
There will have more mosquitoes during Dominica rainy season, a small scale dengue fever outbreak occurred in 2013, visitors are advised to bring their own anti-mosquito drugs.