Statistics tell the Most Dangerous Roads

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. She experienced excruciating pains in the middle of a deserted desert while on a stranded bus. Adequate medical care is sometimes not provided to Americans who suffer from life threatening instances such as accidents and illnesses in the remote areas of the world.



In just about a few hours out of Kandahar, the bus filled with Afghans got broken in the middle of nowhere. An obvious companion of the Frenchwoman, a westerner who was very much worried approached me out of confusion. In the back seat, the Frenchwoman stretched out and was suffering from a terrible pain. The weather was hot and they couldn't do much that's why they only applied a wet handkerchief to her friend's forehead.



After a few hours of waiting, passengers immediately hitched when they saw a truck passed even if it wasn't headed towards near Kabul. A European car which I was able to flag down came on time when the Frenchwoman was in so much agony. Two kind souls, a young Swiss couple agreed to take the French travelers to Kabul. The Afghan passengers who were left including I were able to take a lift from the bus that finally came. The Frenchwoman's companion went for a visit in my hotel just to show her gratitude. In Kabul, she and the Swiss had contacted the French Embassy, which directed them to a hospital where her friend underwent an immediate appendectomy. The close call chastened the companion but she was fine.



The Maryland based association for safe international road travel can provide travelers with hazardous road conditions in 60 foreign countries. The reports may vary depending on the country may it be the dangers of driving at night, the likelihood of livestock on the road, bizarre driving practices of other drivers and roads that are accident prone. It is risky to rent cars and buses at this point because of the lack of safety standards.



A bus accident in Turkey killed a 25 year old Bethesda medical student which paved the way for the association to be found. Accident statistics tells that countries like Egypt, Kenya, South Korea, Turkey and Morocco have the most hazardous roads according to a non-profit organization. The list might cover India as well but the country doesn't give out statistics. The US State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs has begun adding road hazard information to the consular information sheets it prepares for each country, under the association's prompting. Carry adequate health insurance, and consider buying a medical evacuation policy. It is a good thing that the US Embassy can help you find a medical care but still, you will be responsible for your own expenses if ever you get sick or injured. Transferring you through a helicopter from a remote place to an emergency hospital can cost you a fortune. Before going abroad, you should first carry a claim form and an insurance policy identity card as well as know what kind of medical services your health insurance covers according to the State Department.



A Medicare supplement plan provided by the American Association of Retired Persons is the only way that a senior citizen's treatment expenses outside the country can be covered and not by the Social Security Medicare. A few firms sell medical evacuation insurance which can be bought on an annual or per trip basis. The company sells insurance as well as its travel agents.



The best thing to do if worst happens is to dial the US Embassy. At the very least, the embassy can provide a list of local doctors or other medical facilities. Most likely, the embassy personnel will take necessary steps to insure Americans the best medical care. This takes place in remote areas where most Americans are fond of going. 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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