While taking up residence in most town is as easy as finding a seat to ride out , the requirements to live in Villa Las Estrellas — a Chilean Ithiel Town and enquiry place in Antarctica — are a niggling bit stricter . In fact , you have to have surgery . Every mortal who stays in the town recollective - terminus has to have their appendix transfer , agree to theBBC .
Villa Las Estrellas is one of just two civilian settlements inAntarctica , settle on King George Island . Most of the residents arescientistsor members of the Chilean military , but some family unit do live there year - round . Located at the Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva military base , the townsfolk is equipped with a shoal , a library , a post office , a radio station , a bank , a supermarket , and a few homes .
Many people only stay put in Villa Las Estrellas during the summertime , but for thosefew dozenpeople who endure at the base all year , appendix removal is one of the terms of manse , even for minor . That ’s because the near infirmary is more than 600 miles away . While there is basic medical care on the island , any serious treatment require making the long journeying to the Chilean mainland .
A ruptured vermiform appendix is a life - threaten situation , and requires immediate surgery . That ’s operose to get when you ’re 625 miles away from the hospital . So as a guard , Villa Las Estrellas residents get preemptive appendicectomy .
Surgery is just one of many irritation that must be endured as a resident of Antarctica . It ’s a place where the beggarly one-year temperature is 27.8 ° F , and resident physician sometimes ca n’t leave behind the home for weeks . During the winter , there are entire days when the sun is only up for a scant few hours , while in the summertime it ’s just ever dark . Fresh vegetable are a oddity . Oh , and dogsare banned . But at least there are a lot of penguins .
[ h / tBBC ]
