Medical Emergencies while Travelling: Relax and Enjoy the Adventure!

Medical Emergencies while Travelling in Unfamiliar Countries

Most of us are loathe to think about medical emergencies while travelling.  Falling off a ladder or getting bitten by a dog are easily enough dealt with at home (usually) but what it these mishaps happen to you in another country?  In a country where medical practises are a little less familiar –  say, Nicaragua or Bulgaria?  When you don’t speak the language, you’re not sure whether x-rays and antibiotics are routine procedures and hospitals and medical clinics tend to be those uninviting buildings glowering in industrial corners of unknown cities?

            Well, if my testimony were to help ease your concerns about having to visit a doctor overseas, it appears that modern medical facilities and good medical care are not exclusive to familiar Western countries. A few adventures later, all scratches, bruises, infections and inflammations incurred abroad have all but disappeared, thanks to the excellent care I have received on the road.

Medical Emergencies while Travelling in Turkey, Mexico, Spain and Greece

            In Turkey, an infection that developed after being bitten by a dog called for a rigorous examination and daily monitoring by a local doctor.  A tetanus shot and prescription of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories were given amidst numerous calls to the owner of the dog to check for its certification and vaccination history, along with appointments with medical labs and city halls to verify the dog was innocent, the bite benign and the tourist still had all her marbles. 

            In Mexico, a doctor wisely prescribed an naturopathic treatment to deal with a severe photo-toxic skin reaction.  After soaking my leg in soy-flour paste for a few days, the rash had totally subsided.  In Spain, where hiking with a urinary tract infection got increasingly uncomfortable, a chance encounter with a quiet village clinic meant that, in ten minutes, I had received the diagnosis and prescription I needed, and was continuing my journey a little more enthusiastically.  In Greece, an orthopedic surgeon (who divided his time between Rhodes Town, Greece and London, England) used a detailed series of x-rays to reassure me that the tearing of a tendon in my hand would heal, and I would play the piano again.  He was right. 

Medical Emergencies while Travelling:  Excellence of Care

            Not only, in all cases, was the care given immediately, and treatment efficiently administered, but cost of care was usually so inexpensive (if it cost anything at all), it was not worth the trouble to file for reimbursement from my own travel medical insurance provider upon returning home.  So, while some of us choose, as ‘medical tourists’, to seek out doctors across borders, it’s comforting to know that even when our visits to these doctors are unintended, the letter home can be a happy one.

            Here’s hoping that your own experiences abroad have likewise deepened your appreciation and respect for the medical profession on a wider scale, and that you, like I, are learning to relax and enjoy the adventure!