Getting help if you are ill while abroad

Getting help if you are ill while abroad can come from many people. Your host will be able to assist you. In countries that do not speak English and are more remote there is often a doctor that the company uses for all types of medical support. This doctor will be known to the company which will increase your comfort level. It is most likely that they will charge the costs directly back to your host’s expense budget.

The concierge at the hotel will also be able to help you so just call. They will be able to tell you where the nearest medical center is. They will know where the nearest international hospital is. They will also be able to organize a doctor to come to the hotel.

Of course, medical expenses will come at a cost but your health is paramount here. It will most likely be covered by your company’s travel insurance or your own business travel insurance. If not, in the case of a company, they should pay for this through a normal expense claim.

If the doctor comes to the hotel and you do not have enough cash, you may need to get the hotel to pay the doctor and charge the expense to your room account. The Concierge will be used to this practice as you will not be the first person to call the doctor to the hotel. Most medical centers and hospitals will take credit cards. If you are extremely ill, there will be an emergency number on your travel insurance card. Click here for more on Travel Insurance.. When you call the general number on your travel insurance card, the person on the line will assist you.

Make sure you ask for an doctor who speaks your native language or a language you are fluent in. The last thing you need when you are sick is to have to try to understand a doctor who does not speak your language. This is especially important because there will likely be some medical terms requiring translation. Medical terms are not the type of words you use everyday so are more difficult to translate. You can also ask your Host or someone from the office or hotel to come and translate for you.