Emergency healthcare overseas

[exoticimports]

Most entomologists have a burning desire to travel to some strange land and collect bugs. Aside from the usual problems: laws, corruption, crime, and cultural barriers there is another consideration: what happens if you have a healthcare crisis? An injury, parasite, or appendicitis?

There is a lot of bad information out there. The common thought, at least in USA, is that USA is the only country with proper healthcare. This is absolutely not true. I have been hospitalized in Thailand and found their care, methods, and resources to be superior to USA. Germany, on the other hand, despite their much-touted social care, I have found to be well behind USA.

On the other end of the spectrum is places where you may as well be DEAD. Meaning, if something critical happens you will not reach proper care before you die. This may be due to remoteness, or due to absolutely sub-standard healthcare. What is often called a "hospital" in some areas wouldn't be allowed to operate as a clinic in Mexico.

Then there are the fake drugs, bought at discount by unsuspecting (or not) clinics. This is rampant in SE Asia. On the other hand, antibiotics and anti-malarial drugs are often one-fifth the price as compared to bringing them from USA.

Briefly, and generically, I will say healthcare in Thailand and Malaysia are every bit equal to USA. Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam are not. Remote islands in PNG, Solomons, Vanuatu, Fiji count as "dead" islands because you won't make it back in time.

So I offer this for discussion.

[cabintom]

It's pretty hit and miss here in north-eastern DRC. By road, you can't travel anywhere very quickly, so if you're somewhere remote (and that's lots of wheres) you're likely in trouble if there's a medical emergency. Fortunately, there's quite a number of hospital mission stations where doctors and nurses have received good (and often ongoing) training from international doctors. Unfortunately, they seriously lack in specialized knowledge... and I'm not so sure about their surgical skills... yeah not confident at all. Break a bone? Contract some kind of terrible tropical disease? No problem, head to the nearest hospital. Heart attack? Perforated bowel? You'd better get medi-vac'd to Uganda.

There used to be some really good and well equipped hospitals out here. People would even travel in from Kinshasa to get treated or undergo surgery at one of them. Sadly, decades of war and rebel activity has literally destroyed that infrastructure.

As for medication, there's not much to worry about with regards to fakes, as long as you're buying from the hospital dispensaries. The larger issue is availability. We purchased almost all of our medication in Uganda.

[jshuey]

I agree that many countries offer pretty solid health care. Many in Central America have a "tourist medical practice trade" that draws in customers from around the world for specialized treatments. Costa Rica and Mexico come to mind.

Just in case, my employer offers what they call a medical SOS card for those of us who occasionally work in remote areas. Essentially, you have an international phone number and an account. It ensures that in a true medical emergency, users will be extracted and sent to the nearest qualified medical facility. I've been told that from Belize, it would involve a charter flight to Miami if my life was truly in danger. I don't know that it has ever been used, but it is nice to know that someone has your back.

John

[lordpandarus]

it's something to think about...that a lot of butterfly in my collection has somekind of back story where someone risked his like to catch it

[wollastoni]

During a storm in Papuan mountains, I slipped on a wet rocks and fell 3 meters dowm. Hopefully the dense vegetation stopped my fall and I didn't hit any rocks.

It was on a small path in the middle on nowhere.

You always need some luck in a collecting trip. This said, you can be hit by a car everyday... so I prefer to die in Papua than in the middle of Paris...

[mygos]

I agree Olivier !

A+, Michel