Frenchwoman Stretched in the Backseat Undergoing so much Stomach Pain

The most frightening medical emergency I've encountered in years of travel abroad involved a young Frenchwoman who, as was later diagnosed, was suffering an appendicitis attack in Afghanistan. Somewhere in an empty desert, a bus was stranded while she was in agony. Americans increasingly are seeking out the remote corners of the world, and at least a few suffer life threatening illnesses or accidents, sometimes far from adequate medical care or any care at all.

Unexpectedly, in the middle of nowhere, the bus's engine went off which was crowded with Afghans just a couple of hours out of Kandahar. I could tell that the woman's friend who approached me, a westerner, was worried and confused. A terrible pain attacked the Frenchwoman who stretched out in the back seat. We didn't have options other than to apply a wet handkerchief to the Frenchwoman's forehead to temper the day's searing heat.

After a few hours, some passengers didn't have second thoughts in hopping on a truck that passed even though it wasn't going near Kabul. While the Frenchwoman couldn't stop sobbing in pain, good enough, I was able to flag down a sturdy European sedan. Two kind souls, a young Swiss couple agreed to take the French travelers to Kabul. After some time, another bus came which I and the remaining Afghan passengers were able to get a ride. The next day, the Frenchwoman's companion tracked me down in my hotel to thank me. After she and the Swiss couple contacted the French Embassy in Kabul, the embassy guided them to a hospital where the injured lady immediately underwent appendectomy. The friend was fine but was still shaken up by the close call.

In 60 foreign countries, the Maryland based association for safe international road travel can provide travelers with hazardous road conditions. It depends on which country it is reporting about bizarre driving practices, accident prone roads, dangers of driving at night or livestock on the road. Safety standards are insufficient which makes cars and buses rental riskier.

The association was formed in memory of a 25 year old Bethesda medical student who was in a bus accident in Turkey and got killed. Accident prone roads according to the non-profit organization's accident statistics are Egypt, Kenya, South Korea, Turkey and Morocco. The list might include India but it does not provide statistics. In every country's consular information sheets, the US State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs has included road hazard information for the association has urged them quite well. Health insurance and a medical evacuation policy should be considered. The US Embassy can help you look for a medical care if you become sick or if you are injured but you are responsible for the payments. It will be very costly if you are to be evacuated through a helicopter from a remote area to an emergency hospital. The State Department warned that before going abroad, you should find out what medical services your health insurance covers and also, you should carry both an insurance policy identity card and a claim form as a proof of your insurance.

One way to cover a senior citizen's treatment costs outside the country is through a Medicare supplement plan by the American Association of Retired Persons and not by the Social Security Medicare. A number of firms sell medical evacuation insurance which can be availed on an annual or per trip basis. The company directly sells insurance although you could also purchase from travel agents.

If ever the worst is encountered, better call the nearest US Embassy. The very least that the embassy can offer help is to give a list of commendable doctors or other medical facilities. Most likely, the embassy personnel will take necessary steps to insure Americans the best medical care. It is those most Americans who dare to visit remote places are the ones benefiting this. Victims who have met accidents may be visited by officials to ensure that the treatment a victim receives is sufficient, that victim's friends or relatives are contacted and that the victim is transferred in a better facility in a foreign hospital.

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