Activity 3 Reading and Understanding
Read the following passage and try to get some knowledge for a medical emergency in international traveling.
International Travel Tips for a Medical Emergency Abroad
All travelers must have a contingency plan ready in case of a medical emergency while traveling abroad. Illnesses and injuries can occur without warning. Therefore, you must be ever ready to deal with it when and if it happens.
Remember the saying “better to be safe than sorry”. Do not opt for long distance travel if you are not in perfect condition. Go for a physical medical examination a few weeks before the planned trip. You need to ensure that there is no virus or bacteria brewing a war against the immune system. If undetected, you could end up spending your vacation nursing a disease in a crowded hotel or hospital room.(https://www.daowen.com)
Ensure you have a comprehensive health insurance policy. Your insurance should cover medical emergencies, hospitalization, medical procedures and evacuation or transport. You may have to pay more for health insurance that provides good coverage while abroad. Just remember that the financial support of this policy that may result in the case of an emergency is worth every penny you have paid for it.
Brush up on how to call emergency numbers in your destination. If you cannot trust yourself to memorize a string of numbers, be sure to save them in the phone book or on a piece of paper so you can easily access them. If you have a pre-existing medical condition that can lead to an emergency situation, it is recommended that you always carry a mobile phone with roaming activated. You will be immediately able to seek medical help if needed.
It is important to carry relevant medical information about yourself. Your blood type,known allergies and pre-existing medical conditions and medications are essential for physicians to determine the appropriate medical procedure to follow.
If your medical emergency involves serious surgery, make sure the local medical institution is able to provide a quality operation service. Call your doctor at home and discuss the matter with him or her. If you do not need to have the operation to be performed immediately, explore the possibility of getting transported to a better equipped center for the procedure.