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.

It is cliche, but I\’ll say it anyway: 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 want to ensure that there is no virus or bacteria brewing a war against the immune system. If undetected, you could end up spending their vacation nursing a disease in a crowded hotel or hospital room.

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 paid for it.

Brush up on how to call emergency numbers in your destination. If you can not 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 activate. You will be immediately able to seek medical help if needed.

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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 performed immediately explore the possibility of getting transported to a better equipped center for the procedure.

If you want to be transported back home, you can hire international health care providers for medical evacuation or medical assistance. This usually involves air ambulance flights in a helicopter or fixed wing aircraft. They are not cheap, so make sure that medical assistance is included in your insurance coverage.

You can also hire a doctor accompanying you to return home. They are medical professionals, usually registered nurses or paramedics, accompanying a sick or injured person home. They ensure that all travel arrangements are complete for the trip. They also monitor the patient\’s condition and administer the necessary drugs and other medical procedures during the trip.

Finally, if you are a member of international medical organizations such as International SOS and the International Association for Medical Assistance for Travelers, take advantage of their services to help take the measures and recommendations for you in the event of an emergency.

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For Americans planning to travel abroad it’s worthwhile to have contact information for the local embassy or consulate. The American Embassy can be a lifesaving resource for Americans traveling abroad. For a US citizen the local embassy is a wealth of information and resources. They can notify you in the event of an emergency, provide you with medical resources such as physicians, air ambulance companies and hospitals, or help you if you have been the victim of a crime.

If you’ve ever seen the television show, “24” or any of the “Bourne Identity” movies you may believe that the embassy is a place of non-stop political action and adventure. The reality is far less heart stopping but they can be a useful resource for an American traveling in a foreign country.

Before you travel you can register with the Embassy in the country where you will be traveling at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/home.asp. This will ensure your safety in the event of an emergency as officials will know where to contact you.

When disasters happen abroad, American consular officers can assist you in evacuating the country, if they know where to locate you. When you register you will provide them with a detailed itinerary and passport information for all in your party. If you are traveling with a tour group, they will likely register the tour group but do ask.

Registering with the embassy is especially important if you plan on an extended stay or if you are traveling to countries subject to natural disasters, civil unrest or political instability. You can also contact the embassy in advance to check on conditions in the country.

The embassy will not serve as a personal concierge but in an emergency, they can assist you with much needed help. For example, if you were injured or became ill while traveling they could provide you or your family with the information for an air ambulance service. The air ambulance company could then coordinate with the local hospital and safely transport you to a hospital in your home location.

The embassy can help not only in medical emergencies but also personal emergencies. If your passport was lost or stolen while traveling the embassy could help you to secure replacement documentation.

Many people travel abroad without incident. However, it pays to plan in advance by having a list of emergency resources just in case. This can be particularly important for medical emergencies. Make sure that you have an emergency list of contacts that includes your local physician, pharmacy (if taking prescribed medication), insurance company, medical evacuation company (they will have a 24 hour line accessible worldwide), hospital and of course the local U.S. Embassy.

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