Sufficient Medical Attention Not Supplied In Remote Areas
The most frightening medical emergency I’ve encountered in years of travel abroad involved a young Frenchwoman who, as was later diagnosed, was suffering an appendicitis attack in Afghanistan. In the middle of an empty desert, her pain began. Americans who love going to remote places in the world could cause them to endure sicknesses or accidents, sometimes far from sufficient medical care or even none at all.
When the bus full of Afghans drove a couple of hours out of Kandahar, its engine suddenly broke down in the middle of nowhere. An obvious companion of the Frenchwoman, a westerner who was very much worried approached me out of confusion. She led me in the back seat where her friend stretched out because of a terrible pain in the stomach. To make her friend feel a little better under the scorching weather, they placed a wet handkerchief on her forehead.
After a few hours of waiting, passengers immediately hitched when they saw a truck passed even if it wasn’t headed towards near Kabul. The Frenchwoman’s stomach pains worsen but good thing, a sturdy European sedan passed by. In the car, two good Swiss souls agreed to take the women to Kabul. I was able to ride in the bus that came after a long while along with the Afghan passengers. The next day, I found the Frenchwoman’s companion in my hotel thanking me for what I did. The French Embassy was quick enough to respond to her friend’s need for an instant appendectomy after the Swiss and the Frenchwoman who approached me earlier contacted the embassy in Kabul. It was definitely a close call which shook up the friend.
In 60 countries, the Maryland based association for safe international road travel ensures its travelers safety measures to observe whenever faced with perilous road situations. It depends on which country it is reporting about bizarre driving practices, accident prone roads, dangers of driving at night or livestock on the road. Safety standards are insufficient which makes cars and buses rental riskier.
The association was formed in memory of a 25 year old Bethesda medical student who was in a bus accident in Turkey and got killed. The most perilous roads based on accident statistics by a non-profit organization are the countries Egypt, Kenya, South Korea, Turkey and Morocco. India might be on the list, but it does not provide statistics. Under the association’s prompting, the US State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has begun adding road hazard information to the consular information sheets it prepares for each country. Considering buying a medical evacuation policy and carrying adequate health insurance would be a good thing. If you become ill or are injured abroad, the US Embassy can help you find medical care, but payment is up to you. It will be very costly if you are to be evacuated through a helicopter from a remote area to an emergency hospital. As a proof of your insurance, before travelling, you should first find out what medical services your health insurance offers and you should also carry an insurance policy identity card and a claim form according to the State Department.
The Social Security Medicare program for senior citizens does not pay for treatment outside the United States, but coverage can be obtained through a Medicare supplement plan offered by the American Association of Retired Persons. A per trip or annual basis are two ways wherein medical evacuation insurance can be bought from a number of firms. You can buy insurance directly from the company or buy it from travel agents.
If ever the worst happens, call the nearest US Embassy. The embassy could provide you a list of local doctors and other medical facilities. The best medical care is ensured by the embassy personnel to Americans. This is true especially to most Americans who love visiting remote places. Proper treatment, a better facility and friends or relatives are the three things that an accident victim in a foreign country needs which are monitored by the officers.
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