People often forget that traveling is not all about seeing new places and discovering new cultures. Most of those that claim to be travelers nowadays have no idea what to do if they get injured abroad.
Naturally, they think that, if they are within a city or such, they can’t get injured as easily as if they were on a safari, for example. The truth is that injuries can happen to anyone anywhere.
That’s why, today we’ll be talking about what you must do if you get injured abroad. Let’s begin!
Consult Your Insurance Policy
Obviously, you should not pull out your insurance policy and read it right after you get injured. You should read it carefully before your trip!
For example, if you are traveling internationally and end up 100 miles or more away from your home, you may face unexpected medical bills in case of an injury. In this situation, you might want to have travel insurance next to your domestic healthcare plan.
The insurance policy has to be checked before you start traveling, so you know if you need additional coverage or not, or if you’ll have to pay money up front when taken to the hospital, and so on.
Be Cautious
Even if you know yourself as a careful person overall, it is still important that you take the necessary precautionary measures to avoid getting injured abroad. Among these measures, we mention the understanding of your coverage, the packing of an emergency kit, and the informing of the insurer of your exact travel plans.
Don’t Panic
Naturally, if you get injured, it is essential that you stay calm. You shouldn’t panic and worry yourself about the health care of the country you are currently in and things like that.
Depending on the country you choose to visit, you may be presented with an even better healthcare than in the US or the UK.
Contact Your Embassy and Ask Locals for Advice
Obviously, when you’re in a foreign country and injured, one of the first things you have to do is to contact your country’s embassy. They can point out the nearest local healthcare facility for you, inform your family members of the accident, as well as help transfer funds in the country you are in, in order to facilitate payments.
You can also ask trusted locals – such as hotel personnel – for advice. For example, your accommodation will most likely have someone that can act as a translator and who can help you deal with your injury.
Go to a Healthcare Facility
Naturally, if you get injured, you should try to get to a healthcare facility as soon as possible. If you want to be extra prepared for such cases, you might consult websites or even download phone apps that can help you locate the nearest and best healthcare facility for your type of injury.
Nevertheless, if you find yourself in a critical situation, just get to the nearest healthcare facility so that you get proper initial treatment before being transferred to another location or treated further.
The Bottom Line
As you have noticed, preparation is more important than the thing you can do on the spot when you get injured. In this respect, we also recommend you look into injury lawyers before you go on your trip so that you get everything covered in case of an accident.
You know what people usually say – the best way to deal with trouble is to do your best to avoid it!