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In our years of journey, we’ve not often discovered ourselves pulling up Google looking for native hospitals. However getting sick whereas touring does occur, and I can consider two critically scary experiences we’ve had getting sick overseas.
Getting Sick Overseas
The primary time we discovered ourselves Googling for emergency rooms was throughout my first being pregnant.
Despite the fact that we have been solely in Canada, the strategy to healthcare was vastly totally different—ahem, cheaper—than in America. As a result of we knew the rationale I used to be sick, we tried to seek out an OB/GYN to e-book an appointment. We rapidly realized that since we have been American, we needed to go to a public clinic. Specialty medical doctors require a referral and as Individuals, that was out of attain.
We discovered a clinic on Google Maps, confirmed up and acquired added to an hours-long ready listing, and noticed a health care provider. Truly, for the second physician go to I wanted, I used to be fairly severely sick. I need to’ve appeared like loss of life as a result of I’ve by no means been whisked again to a room so rapidly!
Our medical health insurance truly lined these visits though we have been overseas. Plus, as a result of it was Canada, my prescription value about $80 for a three-month provide. (Later I refilled that prescription within the States…it value $400 for a two-week provide and I’m nonetheless bitter about it.)
There’s one thing about getting sick in Canada that isn’t too intimidating. We have been even in Vancouver—a fast drive again to the States if we would have liked to be.
However what about while you’re sick in a a lot much less acquainted nation?
Andorra—the tiny European nation nobody’s heard of
Tucked between Spain and France is the tiny mountain nation of Andorra. It takes about an hour to drive throughout the complete nation and it’s identified for snowboarding. (Should you’re pondering of getting sick someplace, a ski space is a superb place to be. There’s all the time going to be a hospital close by!)
It was in Andorra that issues began getting unhealthy for Heath and me…
Heath shares all of the gory particulars within the video above, however I discovered myself looking for hospitals close by at 1:00 AM.
Being in Andorra was truly extraordinarily fortunate! Due to the dimensions of the nation, we determined to go to and camp within the capital metropolis of Andorra la Vella. Our campsite was a five-minute drive from the hospital. Doable even when sick.
Even higher for us, everybody we met in Andorra spoke Spanish and French. Our French was restricted to your primary journey phrases, however Heath is aware of Spanish properly sufficient to converse. If we had gotten sick sooner or later earlier, we might’ve been camped in the midst of the Pyrenees mountains a minimum of an hour from a hospital and in a French-speaking nation. I’m undecided what we might’ve executed!
Now you by no means actually know when you’re going to get sick, however when you’re beginning to really feel such as you is likely to be sick, keep away from going into rural or distant areas.Â
Discovering Hospitals and Medical doctors Overseas
We all the time use Google Maps when searching for emergency rooms and hospitals. Even when the hospital names are in numerous languages, Google can nonetheless observe them down when you search the phrase hospital.
For medical doctors or specialists, we use Air Physician. I’ve the free app downloaded on my cellphone to be used wherever we’re. When our son had a nasty fall and we have been apprehensive he might need a concussion, we began looking for pediatric medical doctors close to us.
You simply must sort your location (or activate location providers) after which sort your want.
Our pal Peter truly used Air Physician to discover a dentist in Paris when he misplaced a crown throughout dinner.
Non-Pressing Care Choices
When Eli fell and we apprehensive he hit his head too arduous, we have been cut up on what to do. It was 7:00 PM on a Saturday night time. No physician’s workplace was open, which means we must go to an emergency room. Moreover, it was previous Eli’s bedtime. Taking him to a hospital meant he wouldn’t get much-needed sleep for just a few hours and he was already fussy.
We referred to as our physician again dwelling and talked to the triage nurse. She walked us via concussion protocol, confirmed Eli was superb, and all of us slept soundly that night time.
Calling your property physician is all the time a superb possibility and one we’ve exercised typically with our children. They’ve all of your affected person info and are normally fast to reply questions. For non pressing wants or something that wouldn’t require prescriptions, we prefer to go this route first.
Emergency Assist
In Europe, the emergency quantity is 112. Realizing the emergency variety of the nation or area you’re visiting is vital. (Having the language of the nation you’re in downloaded in your cellphone in Google Translate can even be important for emergencies!)
Should you do must go to the hospital, deliver your paperwork and journey insurance coverage with you. I take pictures or screenshots of all this info so it’s saved on my cellphone. Then I make a Shared Photostream and share them with my husband. This fashion all our paperwork are accessible throughout all our units simply in case.
Emergency assist hopefully isn’t vital, however is one thing it’s best to take into consideration while you buy a vacation SIM in your time overseas. Calling isn’t all the time included as an possibility, however is likely to be important.
Making ready to Journey Overseas
Earlier than we journey to any nation, I make sure that to be taught phrases like assist and memorize the emergency cellphone quantity. (In Japan the place we head subsequent, it’s 119. 911 backwards!)
However one of the crucial necessary issues to do is pack your individual first help package and primary medication and nutritional vitamins. As frequent as a few of these objects are in America, discovering one thing easy like vitamin C will be very tough overseas.
For a whole listing of every part we pack after we journey overseas, obtain our household packing listing: