Medical emergencies are scary even if you are at home. However, if you are in a foreign country, you will be much more frightened when a medical emergency occurs. Although you should not go on vacation whilst preparing for the worst, you should be ready for the worst-case scenario.
Being ready for medical emergencies comes in handy should a family member or friend need it while you are on vacation. Long before you board the plane, you should plan for a potential medical emergency. Make sure that you undergo a medical checkup at facilities such as the walk-in injury clinic in Portland before you leave. Here are some steps that you can take to prepare:
Know how to contact the US Embassy
The American Embassy in the country that you want to visit will know how to handle a medical emergency by alerting your family back home and finding the best medical care for you. Before you embark on your journey, you should read up on the US embassy in the country that you are visiting to find out where it is. If you are in a foreign destination, the embassy is the first place that you should visit.
Register Your Travel Plans
You need to visit the US state department’s website to register your travel plans with them. Once you do this, they will know that you are outside the country. If anything happens to you while you are in a foreign country, the government can take action in a swift manner.
Fill in Emergency Contacts in Your Passport
Before leaving your home country, it is important that you fill out the emergency information accurately. Just fill out the emergency contact and information page as clearly and accurately as possible. If you are not sure whether a family member has changed his or her number, you need to confirm before filling it in.
In case of an emergency, your passport is the one place that the foreign authorities will look for. If you forget to fill it out, you will make it harder for them to contact your loved ones in a medical emergency.
Look at the State Department Site
You will come across some helpful and valuable information such as travel tips on this site. You might also find some medical resources that will come in handy as you travel abroad.
What to Bring
Your medical paperwork is important while you travel abroad. If you need it while in a foreign country, you will have it with you. However, you also need to keep this sensitive information safe to ensure that it does not get lost. How can you have the right medical emergency papers without carrying sensitive documents everywhere?
The best way to protect your documents by scanning them and emailing them to yourself. This way, you will have a digital copy that you can access from any part of the world. As long as there is internet access, you can access them. Moreover, if anything happens to your papers, you will always have a digital backup to use.
If you need urgent medical care abroad, your normal health insurance will not cover your bills. Additionally, if you need to be airlifted to your country, the medical expenses will be through the roof. If you have a chronic illness, you should consider getting insurance for medical evacuation. This insurance will help you to pay for medical bills while in a foreign country.
Conclusion
The above tips will help you to be ready for any medical emergency that occurs while you are traveling. Consider consulting with a travel agent to know more.