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Emergency Medicine
We are near the end of our time in Tanzania and it seems people keep getting sick. First Thursday, then Friday, I noticed different people were missing from the group. Stephanie, a reporter from Philadelphia, had started feeling really sick in Zanzibar, and she looked really bad and was rather quiet which is a stark contrast to her vibrant personality.
When we got back to Dar, I was told that she was off to see a doctor. And John, an editor from Miami, disappeared on Friday. Both went to the doctor for infections. Stephanie had an infection in her leg and John had a sinus infection. One of the U.N. officials from Tanzania was kind enough to take them to her doc. Luckily nothing was seriously wrong, and the U.N. was able to make arrangements for their care.
Traveling overseas, especially to developing countries, can be scary because of the unknowns if there is indeed an illness that requires a doctor's care. I always fear that the care will not be up to the same standards as it is in the U.S. A friend of mine who went to Kenya for a summer, advised me to bring syringes and needles in case I needed a shot.
I had read to take this precaution in some travel prep reading, too. I would've never thought of that, but HIV is rampant in Africa so I seriously considered it but ran out of time to get them. You basically need a doctor to prescribe them and you should carry a doctor's note, too, so they don't get confiscated in transit. I think both of my teammates were satisfied with their care however, and they are recovering nicely.
For this trip I actually took out traveler's insurance via American Express in case something went wrong. I figured Africa was too far away to get caught off guard without additional protection. Most employer health insurers either don't cover treatment abroad or make you foot the bill up front. If you are hospitalized or require emergency transport back to the states it can cost thousands of dollars.
Among other items, my plan covers emergency transport for me or for a family member if someone needs to come to me, also emergency evacuation, all medical care, and if I died it would cover transport of my remains. The fees are based on the length of time and coverage in dollar amounts you desire.
There are plenty of plans online to shop for traveler's insurance; a friend of mine actually recommended American Express to me since I am a cardholder and so is he. If nothing else, I certainly had peace of mind knowing if something went wrong, I was covered.
I am feeling fine now other than a constant runny nose, which seems to be a universal symptom of the group at this point.
Related Topics: Travelers' Insurance: Buying Online, Bringing Home Illness From Overseas
Technorati Tags: travel, travel insurance
When we got back to Dar, I was told that she was off to see a doctor. And John, an editor from Miami, disappeared on Friday. Both went to the doctor for infections. Stephanie had an infection in her leg and John had a sinus infection. One of the U.N. officials from Tanzania was kind enough to take them to her doc. Luckily nothing was seriously wrong, and the U.N. was able to make arrangements for their care.
Traveling overseas, especially to developing countries, can be scary because of the unknowns if there is indeed an illness that requires a doctor's care. I always fear that the care will not be up to the same standards as it is in the U.S. A friend of mine who went to Kenya for a summer, advised me to bring syringes and needles in case I needed a shot.
I had read to take this precaution in some travel prep reading, too. I would've never thought of that, but HIV is rampant in Africa so I seriously considered it but ran out of time to get them. You basically need a doctor to prescribe them and you should carry a doctor's note, too, so they don't get confiscated in transit. I think both of my teammates were satisfied with their care however, and they are recovering nicely.
For this trip I actually took out traveler's insurance via American Express in case something went wrong. I figured Africa was too far away to get caught off guard without additional protection. Most employer health insurers either don't cover treatment abroad or make you foot the bill up front. If you are hospitalized or require emergency transport back to the states it can cost thousands of dollars.
Among other items, my plan covers emergency transport for me or for a family member if someone needs to come to me, also emergency evacuation, all medical care, and if I died it would cover transport of my remains. The fees are based on the length of time and coverage in dollar amounts you desire.
There are plenty of plans online to shop for traveler's insurance; a friend of mine actually recommended American Express to me since I am a cardholder and so is he. If nothing else, I certainly had peace of mind knowing if something went wrong, I was covered.
I am feeling fine now other than a constant runny nose, which seems to be a universal symptom of the group at this point.
Related Topics: Travelers' Insurance: Buying Online, Bringing Home Illness From Overseas
Technorati Tags: travel, travel insurance
