Planning Ahead For Vacation Emergencies Part I
By Danielle Mitchell, Mon Dec 26th
When planning for your Caribbean vacation, one could easily toget carried away in the excitement and thrills of your upcomingtrip. But before you embark on your dream vacation, take a fewminutes to consider the possibility of medical emergencysituations that could arise during your trip to the Caribbean. No one wants to think negatively when planning a trip to thebeautiful Caribbean, but the truth is, anything can happen atany time. Consider what you would do in case a health emergencyoccurs while you're on vacation. You could save yourself a lotof heartache and frustration in the long run. Medical emergencies can happen unexpectedly, but there arethings you can do to be prepared just in case. Prior to leavingfor your Caribbean destination, be sure to carry with youemergency contact information, medication, and health insuranceinformation. Then, make sure to locate medical facilities on theisland.
Who to Call If you or one of your travel companions does have a medicalemergency during your vacation, you will need to find help onthe island. Whether you need of a police officer, physician, orambulance you must be able to provide necessary information inorder to communicate effectively with the proper officials. Manypeople panic during emergencies, which can make it difficult tothink clearly enough to find the right phone number. This canlead to frustration, which can prolong your search for emergencyinformation. Waiting until a medical emergency happens to look for emergencycontact information can cost you precious minutes. Before yourtrip, take a few minutes to find the information and phonenumbers for hospitals, ambulances, fire departments, policestations, and the local U.S. consulate or embassy located on thespecific island where you'll be staying. Write these emergencynumbers down on a piece of paper or a flash card that will beeasy for you to read. Put your emergency numbers in a place youcan quickly remember like a wallet, purse, or suitcase pocket,so if needed, you can quickly access these vital numbers. Thissimple step can save you the trouble of fumbling through a phonebook or other listings that may even be printed in a foreignlanguage. Taking Medication Vacationers who are taking prescription medications, or arefollowing a regiment of over-the-counter drugs, should considersome general advice. Remember to pack enough medication for yourentire trip. Keep your medications stored in their originalpackaging, with clearly marked labels. Also, bring a letter fromyour doctor describing all of your medical conditions, the namesof the medicines you've been prescribed, as well as theirgeneric names. If you need to carry syringes in order to takeyour medications, be sure to carry a letter from your physiciandescribing their necessity. Pack your medicines in your hand luggage so you can get to themquickly should you need to. And keep an extra supply of yourmedication in your checked baggage, just in case somethinghappens to your other doses. Travelers who are prone to majorallergic reactions or who have serious chronic medicalconditions may want to consider wearing a medical alert braceletshould a trip to the hospital become necessary. Find out before hand if immunizations are required to visit aparticular region. You are going to be in a foreign country,which may have different health risks than your own country.Vacationers should be up-to-date on all routine immunizations,such as tetanus, measles, and mumps. This medical precaution canhelp you avoid contracting preventable infections and illnessesand can decrease the risk of some medical emergencies. Health Insurance A lot of travelers don't know whether their health insurancewill cover claims or doctor's office visits while on vacation.Contact your medical insurance provider and ask whether you willbe covered while visiting the Caribbean. Some health insurancecompanies will not reimburse for medical treatment overseas. If you do have a medical emergency while vacationing in theCaribbean, the cost of your treatment may be very expensive,especially if you don't have health insurance, and you could befaced with medical bills reaching
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thousands of dollars. So ifyour insurance company won't compensate your medical expenseswhile you're outside of your home country, you may want toconsider purchasing supplemental, temporary insurance, designedfor travelers going abroad. This kind of insurance is perfect incase of a medical emergency while on vacation, and can cover thecosts of emergency procedures and medical evacuation. Medical emergencies can't always be anticipated while onvacation, but there are a few things you can do in advance tomake sure you're prepared in case a situation does come up. Ifyou want to find out more about health and medical topics in theCaribbean, many helpful resources on traveler safety in theCaribbean are available, such as the comprehensive online guidefound at http://Caribbean-guide.info. About the author:Danielle Mitchell writes for http://Caribbean-Guide.info ,http://Jamaica-Guide.info , and other Segisys travel Web sites. © 2005, Interactive Internet Websites, Inc. Article may only bereprinted if it is not modified in any way, and if all linksremain live. | 
