American Tourist Stunned by $31 Hospital Bill in Morocco

Traveling in Morocco, Christian Grossi, 23, was affected by food poisoning. "I ended up fainting and collapsing on the sidewalk. [...] I then woke up with four Moroccan men pouring water on my head and speaking only Arabic except for one word: hospital," he recounts in a video posted on his TikTok account. Admitted to the hospital, he received antibiotics and anti-nausea medications via two infusions, reports Independent.

The next day, he felt better but was anxious about receiving a hefty bill. "I didn’t have health insurance, so I had no idea how much it was going to cost me," the young American said. The nurse hands him a bill (overnight stay plus the four drugs) of $31 (310 DH). He then expresses his amazement. This amazement is explained by the fact that in the United States, medical care is among the highest in the world: the average cost of a simple emergency room visit ranges between $1,200 and $1,500 (between 12,000 and 15,000 DH).