Embarking on your medical tourism trip to any particular destination involves a lot of planning and looking into details. It could take you months to formulate your travel plans. The main area of planning should essentially concern your health.

How to Take Medical Tourism Trip Abroad?

There are many precautions and security measure that needs to check when you are preparing to travel to a foreign country to take a medical trip. Here are some measures:

Health Concerns

If you travel overseas for medical treatments, protect yourself against possible health hazards through appropriate vaccinations. Different countries have different requirements and stipulations before you step into a foreign country. You also need sufficient time to receive vaccines, as some vaccines require you to have two or three doses to remain effective.

You can gather relevant information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While flying to your medical tourist destination, you could be a victim of altitude sickness, jet lag, and diarrhea. Traveling over different time zones disturbs the functioning of your body clock resulting in jet lag.

Jet lag could cause tiredness, lack of sleep, and sometimes a stomach upset. The most straightforward remedy for those traveling from west to east is to remain out of the sun for a day. Those traveling from east to west can overcome jetlag by going for a brisk walk soon after landing.

Altitude sickness occurs due to a lack of sufficient oxygen at higher altitudes. You feel breathless and could suffer from dehydration and headache too. Different people suffer from altitude sickness at varying levels of altitude. The best remedy is to acclimate your body to the higher altitudes by slowly increasing the altitude and allowing it to adjust.

Acetazolamide can provide relief to a certain extent. You can take your doctor’s advice before taking any altitude sickness medication.

Diarrhea, as suffered by a traveler, is famous as turista. This occurs due to foreign bacteria, probably through your food or water. Therefore, be careful of what you eat and drink while traveling.

If you have impairment problems, notify the concerned authorities accordingly. It would help if you made clear your impairment in all possible and apparent ways. This is essential for the travel authorities to make appropriate arrangements for you while booking.

Additionally, you would require help while traveling on flights.

Food

While taking medical tourism trips abroad, try to consume safe foods. Safe foods usually are boiled foods that remain untouched by human hands during preparation. Besides, foods exposed to high levels of heat also kill any bacteria. Water in many developing nations is not very safe for drinking, as it does not pass through all the various purification processes. You can use an iodine tablet to purify the water. Drinking bottled water can also solve your problem essentially.

Medicines

Always carry all necessary medications like prescription medicines, insulin, vitamins, allergy medication, contact lens cleaners, inhalers, and the like. Try to bring a sufficient supply of such medicines for your stay and keep extra supplies if you have to extend your stay for any reason.

Carry a list of the exact name of the medications and keep them within the original wrappings. Pack your medicines in the hand baggage so you can use them on the flight if you develop complications.

Check if any of your medications count as banned medications in the country of your travel. In that case, you would have to ask your doctor for substitutes.

Essential Information

You Should Carry, Ideally, form a document containing all your medical details and keep it with you always while on your trip to any medical tourist destination. The list should include – Your personal details of name, address, phone number, and similar details of any family member staying in your home country. All details of your ailments and the steps necessary in any emergency Name, address, and phone number of your doctor, Your blood group, and details of all your immunizations.

Safety Measures

While traveling, take extra care of yourself and your belongings. Try to travel in groups and avoid secluded roads and places after dark. Traffic rules differ from country to country. Notice and understand the laws of the road before venturing out. An introductory course in first aid can help you remain safe.

Be careful in busy thoroughfares, subways, trains, buses, and other crowded places. Guard your belongings against pickpockets and other thieves. Try to avoid getting into arguments with other people. Prepare yourself for your stay in a foreign country by learning the local language to a certain extent. This will help you ask for directions, understand, and communicate with the local people.

Safe Handling of Money

Always carry your cash in traveler’s checks and exchange it for the necessary currency at times of need. Use your credit card wherever possible, and make sure to get it back after every transaction. Always change your money with authorized agents, and do not change it in the black market.

Loss of Possessions

In case of any loss of possessions, report the incident immediately to the police and your embassy too. Keep a record of such complaints for processing insurance claims. Additionally, inform the credit card issuing company, traveler’s checks issuing agent or company, airline ticket agent, and others. If you lose your passport, inform your embassy immediately.

Legal Entanglements

While in a foreign country, you must abide by the rules of the land. Your embassy cannot help you if you disobey the local rules. Therefore, gather information about the local laws before you embark on your trip. Possession of firearms and drugs can put you behind bars. Similarly, purchasing antiques or taking photographs at specific places or of special monuments can land you in trouble.