Originally Posted By: Doug_Ritter

One thing I didn't notice anyone mentioning is insurance. Most regular medical won't cover out of country. I also strongly suggest you consider medical evacuation insurance as well. This can break the bank if it's required.


International travel health insurance is highly recommended. My daughter was visiting Fiji in early February and while swimming suffered a deep puncture wound in her foot. A long story short, she spent 4 days in a Fijian hospital (which was free, socialized medicine) but the infection was so severe that she ended up in a hospital in Christchurch, NZ. She endured two surgeries and a skin graft. Twelve days @ $600 a pop plus surgeries would have bankrupted her.

Fortuneately she had purchased the special international health/travel insurance which will cover most of the expense. It included evacuation insurance.

Another suggestion is to make sure your daughter contacts the embassy or nearest consulate. It's important that the embassy know where she will be and how to contact her. For US citizens this can be done online before one leaves or at the embassy or consulate. Dept. of State The US consular officer in Auckland called my daughter in the hospital to check on her progress, sent her reading material, and generally helped ease this father's concerns.

I'll try to get her to post the whole story and pretty pictures (think Blast's finger times 10) after she gets home this week.
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In a crisis one does not rise to one's level of expectations but rather falls to one's level of training.