by Lamar | July 20th, 2010
Have you ever gotten sick in a country where you did not know the language? As the saying goes, “I have been there and done that”. Fortunately for me, as an English speaking American, most of the areas in which I have found myself usually had someone who could communicate with me in English or spoke a language in which I could communicate.
Getting sick any where is problem enough, but not being unable to communicate with the health professionals can be inconvenient at the least and disastrous at the worst. It happens all the time. Just hope you are not the one it happens too.
There are ways of course to avoid this problem. Every way will not work for everyone, but by planning ahead, you can limit your health risks and the subsequent communication problems with health care professionals.
First, stay healthy. This seems rather sarcastic and to some extent it is. You can’t control when you catch a cold, have an allergic reaction, fall and break an arm, or God forbid, have a heart attack. But you can eat well, get a restful night’s sleep, and be careful to not exert yourself to an extent you would not at home. Plan you trip to allow for a more casual pace. Your body will thank you for it.
Second, if you have known health issues, make sure you take sufficient medications with you. If you have your normal medications, you are less likely to have to get new supplies in your destination country. And, if you take a list of your medications with you, including their generic names; finding a pharmacist that understands these medical terms avoids some of the communication problems. If your destination country is one that recommends certain immunizations, make sure you get them before you leave your country.
Third, you can decide that you will only visit countries that speak your language. OK, admittedly this limits somewhat your destinations. If you speak French, English, Portuguese, or Spanish as a native language, you can travel to many more areas of the world and be understood than say someone who only speaks Swahili. There are numerous countries that at one time were under the domination of countries speaking these languages, and most continue to use these languages at least as a second language.
Fourth, check for the availability of health professionals speaking your language prior to your trip. Many countries have doctors who were trained outside of their country and many of these are fluent in English and other major languages. Costa Rica and Panama are noted for their abundance of English Speaking doctors, many trained in the United States and England. In the case of many of the countries that emphasize medical tourism (whether in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia, or the Middle East) this is also true.
I am not suggesting that you be overcautious or expect the worst. I do suggest however that if you are going to spend much time in a country that you carefully consider the above recommendations. Getting sick in a country where neither you nor the health professional speak the others language is not good for your health.
