Appendicitis Attack of a Woman while Traveling

An appendicitis attack suffered by a young Frenchwoman was the most fearsome medical emergency I have ever encountered in all of my travels while in Afghanistan. In the middle of an empty desert, her pain began. More Americans prefer traveling to remote places in the world which at times, causes some of them to suffer from life threatening sicknesses or accidents where there is limited proper medical care and sometimes none at all.

The bus that was loaded with Afghans broke down in the middle of nowhere just a couple of hours out of Kandahar. Out of confusion, a westerner worriedly approached me who was an obvious companion of the injured woman. Her friend, stretched out in the back seat, was in terrible stomach pain. There was nothing much we could do except to apply a wet handkerchief to her friend's forehead to temper the day's searing heat.

Trucks going to Kabul are rarely seen which is why when one appeared, some passengers hopped in and rode. The Frenchwoman sobbed as the pain persisted, and then along came a sturdy European sedan, which I flagged down. Two kind souls, a young Swiss couple agreed to take the French travelers to Kabul. A long while later, another bus finally came rumbling along and I and the remaining Afghan passengers caught it. The next day, I found the Frenchwoman's companion in my hotel thanking me for what I did. An immediate appendectomy was performed on her friend after she and the Swiss couple called the French Embassy in Kabul to ask for help. It sure was a close encounter which chastened the friend, but she turned out to be okay after that.

In 60 countries, the Maryland based association for safe international road travel ensures its travelers safety measures to observe whenever faced with perilous road situations. Bizarre driving practices of some drivers in accident prone roads as well as livestock on the roads and dangers of driving at night are some of the things which each country reports about. Where pertinent, it also will note where lack of safety standards makes rental cars or bus travel chancy.

In Turkey, a 25 year old Bethesda medical student was killed in a bus accident which is the reason why the association was founded. Accident prone roads according to the non-profit organization's accident statistics are Egypt, Kenya, South Korea, Turkey and Morocco. The list may include India but it still doesn't provide statistics. The association convinced the US State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs to include road hazard information in each country's consular information sheets. Carry adequate health insurance, and consider buying a medical evacuation policy. You will answer your own expenses if you become sick or are injured because the US Embassy is only capable of helping you find a proper medical care. In order to get to an emergency hospital from a remote area, evacuating you by air can cost thousands of dollars. As a proof of your insurance, before travelling, you should first find out what medical services your health insurance offers and you should also carry an insurance policy identity card and a claim form according to the State Department.

A Medicare supplement plan is provided by the American Association of Retired Persons but this plan cannot be given by the Social Security Medicare if a senior citizen's treatment is done outside the country. Some firms are able to sell medical evacuation insurance which is offered on per trip or annual basis. Travel agents sell the insurance, or you can buy it directly from the company.

It is best to call the nearest US Embassy if the worst happens. The least that the embassy could do is to give a list of local doctors or other medical facilities. Americans are assured that they will get the best medical care provided by the embassy personnel. This is true especially to most Americans who love visiting remote places. It is the officer's duty to ensure that the victim receives adequate treatment, that the victim injured be transported to a better facility, and that the victim's family and friends be contacted in a foreign hospital.

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