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A good medical insurance policy is essential when visiting India,
because medical treatment can be very expensive. Be aware that health
care facilities in India are limited. However, there are state-operated
facilities in towns and cities, and urban areas also have private
consultants and specialists.
Most doctors in India speak English. Ask your hotel to help you get a
doctor in a medical emergency. Some of the
bigger hotels have their own doctor on call. In case of minor medical
problems, a pharmacy will usually be able to help
you. Pharmacies are easy to locate as almost every market has one. Most
medicines can be obtained without
prescription, but make sure you check the sell-by date.
No
vaccinations are legally required. However, it is recommended to have
meningitis, typhoid and hepatitis A injections
before visiting India. Make sure that you are up to date with tetanus
boosters as well.
Take
an ample supply of prescribed medication, as well as a copy of your
prescription. Keep the packaging of your medication showing the generic
name. This will make it easier to fill prescriptions, especially if the
specific brand name is not available. Take an extra pair of
glasses and a
copy of your prescription as well, as lost or broken glasses can be
difficult to replace. If you wear contact lenses, consider
wearing glasses
for the duration of your stay in India, because the dust and heat can
become quite irritating for contact lens wearers.
A
basic health rule is not to drink the water! Not even the ice. Unless
you're absolutely sure, always assume that the water is untreated.
Use
water from containers with a proper seal, or purify it by boiling or
treating it chemically. The water in Calcutta is extremely polluted.
Take
special care, because gastric disease is endemic here.
If
mosquitoes do bite you, try not to scratch the bite as infection and
tropical ulcers can easily set in. Also try to stay away from bees, wasps,
leeches and snakes!
Aids
is a problem in India, as in most places, so take the necessary
precautions. You may want to carry your own syringes and
transfusion kit. |
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