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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1980-11-19, Page 29—M in an updated abbreviated sum nary of your: medical hstory which details (1) all surgical procedures . and their. outcome, (2) all medical problems such as hypertension, diabetes, heart attacks, :etc., (3) drug. allergies, • (4) 'current treatments for active mediCal ' problems and (5) the name and telephone number of year doctor. —Take with you enough medication should yen develop "travelers diarrhea". Most medications are torescrip- -,.... tion only. °BY Gregory DeYore, mg l[n 1979, 36 million Canadians traveled , to. fereign countries' On business or pleasure. According ' to govern- ment• officials, no records are available as to the number of Capadians who died. while traveling abroad or became seriously ill. slit the. United States t hoWever, where approximately 30 minion travel abroad each year,,11,000 died in 1979 and an estimated 1 million suffered , some 'form ofilIness or injury and an-unterd ,number required •• emergency medical evacuation back to.the United States. Although billions of dollars will be spent for :transportation, betel accommodations; sightseeing tours and souvenirs, few travelers have considered : the astronomical personal cost should they become seriously,- in. or even die while abroad. Unfortunately, as in Most countries, governmept or private bealth insurance dees • riot cOyer many of the expetises inetirred. Last ear alone -111TEe'rfureas-fat-e-s-thaoSfekaieded TNin mil lion dollar's for those requiring evacpation .becauie of illpess, injury or death. Equally disconSerting iS the' realizatleh that often neither the Canadian government, nor Other, governments for that matter, can be of assistanee to the "stranded traveler". The following illustrates what • might await.the stricken voyager who is unprepared for a Major medical emergency abroad. The events are true and did not happen 'to a friend or colleague,'but to our family in late. 1979.' The phone rang at 6 a.m. I answered it, wondering which •patient was calling. The voice was barely audible: ",Greg; it's Morn, how are you?" "Fine", I replied as niy thoughts quickly came into focus. My parents had left for Tahiti three days before for",their dream vacation. I Wondered why she was dalliiig, and then, before the • words were uttered, I knew .somethitig was, seriously wrong. "Your father had a massive heart attack a few hoiirs ago and was flown from .a small island to Tahiti. He is in a French hospital. I would like you to call the doctor and speak to him since you speak French. Your dad is in a let of pair., and they are not giving him much pain medication." -Mom," I replied, catch the next froM 'New York' to Tahiti' and he there AS.' sogn as • possible. The •DC-10 landegat 2.30 a4n.•in Papeete, Tahiti, less than twenty hours from our first telephone conversation. -1 met my mother who looked ashen, for she had not slept in days. As .1 entered my father's room, it reminded me of many'pietures 1 had seen of hospitals at the tern off the century in the United States. The loom had an odor of nilt,Sty alcohol: It was dark gray, A pitcher, smelling, of old urine, was lying oPeitt. on the tray next to a glass of water, There was an antiquated cardiac monitor with no alarm in one corner of the room and Fa.porta,ble cardiac defibrillator in the other. I beheld a mice-healthy 55-year-Old man lying in bed with surikep eyes and an aura of impending death on his face,--agonizing•in pain, pleading for me to do something. It was a pitiful sight. I was his son, and yeftWas a physician arid could not let my •emotions interfere. I quickly turned to the nurse in the dimIklighted room -anti-asked--h-erin--Frerich-whdt he Was receiving for pain-- medication and when it had last been given: She replied th athis_-1 a s t medication haeLbee:n five how's ear-lice and- — that it was similar te-codeine. I suggested that she give him a stronger narcotic, which she reluctantly did. In a sport while he began to relaX and finally dozed off to sleep. A few hours later I met with my father's physician, discussed the diagnosis and his plans for management. Although we entertained some management alternativ- es, I did not want to offend him, knowing that would only- make things difficult 'and would accomplish nothing at t the moment. I asked for permission to read the medical record and examine my father. This was granted. I noted that his blood pressure was 200/130. He, had evidence of an. inferior wall myocardial infarction on the ECG. On Montgomery Molors Limited are in need of good used cars and trucks Take advantage of the Sales Tax Rebate on light trucks and vans Ludtnow Phone 528-3007 • .Lucknoiv .SentInet% Wednesday, November 2G,. rao.--,T,ge. a family-nightmare examination of his heart and lungs, .I found that he was in florid Congestive heart failOre. This explained why he was.So short of breath. I asked for the doctor, but he was not available. I asked to review the chest X-ray taken on admission, hut was told that one had never been 'obtained. I then requested that the nurse , contact the, doctor and tell him 'of my findings so • that adequate medical treatmept could begin. A few hours passed. , While I was out' of the room the ,doctor returned with an inferpiefelifinala my *nether, "Tell your son that this is my hespital, my patient,. and that he will not tell me 'what to do," My mother's reply;,,.. "Tell him yourself." I was angered becanse this had taken place in front of my father. I found the doctor in the' hallwaY and had a ",'long talk" about appropriate conversation in front of a patient as well as the managenient of congestive heart failure. After we resolved our "cultural and professional differences," we returned to my father's room where the Pr-eifeh7-fifiYifeiaii-Eil.tntn=e7f my.. fithei and 745-iiCiffied with the diagnesis. He then ordered the appropriate medication. • My father's condition improved slowly. He remained for 12 days'in the "intensive care room" and another 18 days in a -private:room". During' the first part of his confinement his toilet consisted of a rusted bpcket. My mother tidied up the room, bought some toilet paper, towels and soap, washed.his eating utensils, (Since they were not always cleaned), and' covered the open urinal with plastic so the smell Would not be so unbearable, Attempts , to arrange for medical evacuation of ,my father with the assistance of the State bepartment were met with frustration. They informed us that (1) air-ambillance transportation to the United States would cost $2,000, then $4,000 and finally $10,400, (2) the evacuation had. to be in .the "igational interest" and (3) an airplane would fly from Tahiti-Hawaii-San Francisco over a two •day period. It Was propeller driven, flew at 10,000,7 feet and was less pressprized than a commercial„ airliner. When a request for direct iet transportation from Tahiti to San Frahcisco was pursued because the flying time would only be 8 hours instead of 24 hours via Hawaii, we were - informed that the • cost would be . $72.,000; paid in full prior to'departure. Frustrated with the "assistance" from the federal _government, ar- rangements were made tor my father to return home on a stretcher by commercial airliner'to Leis Angeles and then by air-ambulance to San Francisco at a , cost of over $8,000. Although this was less than optimal because of the unavailability of cardiac monitoring or resuscitation equipment, we' took 'the chariee because no other alternatives, were reasonable. After finally returning hoMe. my father was hospital- ized at a local hospital in nerthern California for another two weeks. My mother had exhausted most of their personal savings in making arrangements for her husband's safe return to the United States. The total cost for hotels, phone ,calls, transportation, hospital, and doctor bills 'approached $20,000. After reading the account of one family's struggle to bring a severely ill father home safely, most people can imagine-how-their fdinily-und-friendS might respord-its-a— similar situation. Net all travelers have a son who is a physicia.n.orspeaks aloreign tongue,-Many- do not have the 7finaneial resources to draw upon in such an emergency, What can be done to prevent this story from repeating itself thousands of times during the coming year? The following information has been compiled so that future travelers might avoid our harrowing experience. MEDICAL TIPS --Carry a pocket copy of your most recent electro- cardiogram which can be obtained from your doctor. —Know the medications you are taking by both the trade and generic names as well as the actual dosage in milligrams, grams. etc, After evaluating the' mkperience and 'difficulties encountered in the above story, the following points are of Utmost importance in obtaining coverage for emergency medical evacuation: ' —Make sure that it pays not only for transportation to ' the nearest medical facility, but to a hospital near the individual's home in Canada spthathea2Lshe can Ieturn seen as possible medical aSidance, This alleviates the possibility of having to care fora love() one fora month or !anger in another country while awaiting clearance to return home by a commercial airliner. This \ also insures that the mediCal care rendered w111 not be inferior to that which is available in Canada. —Inquir the company providing the coverage is underw This protects the individual should the company be able to honor their commitments because ankruptcy, etc. —If death should occur, make certain that the company not only provides assistance with making the necessary arrangements for transportation of the body, but will incur all expenses for the, transpertation as well. —Is the cost of the policy affordable for the average tourist. Beware of coverage which is too inexpensive", You always "get what you pay for." ---DoeS the company, provide a 24 hour message center so thatrelatives and friends can telephone toll-free for the latest "health care information". This can save the stricken family thousands of dollars and phone callk to keep family members and friends posted during the critical time period. —Does the' company offering the aboVe benefits also provide; under a separate package, insurance which will cover all hospital expenses while abroad and pay for them before leaving to return home. This is important because most Major health plans, whether government or private, only reimburse the patient after they or the hospital have submitted the bill. Hospitals in foreign countries do not honor this method of payment and demand that all hospital and doctor bills he paid in lull prior to releaSe of the patient. ' After much inquiry and investigation, the only company in the world which proyides all of, the above services in NEAR. INC., 1900 N. MacArthur Boulevard, .` Suite 210, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73127, USA. Telephone (405) 949-2500. According to Mr. Joseph Travis, Chairman of the board,. NEAR L IK., Will for all costs incurred for transportation of the ill or injured home by air-ambulance; is underwritten by Lloyd's of London worldwide: Pays for and makes arrangements for thtlfansportatieTti-of the liody should deaTh—o--c-cur: has memberships which range from a single indiVidual at $42.00, to an entire family at $48.00 for a full year regardless of where they travel throughout the world; (I understand the rates are increasing substantially as of October 1, 1980), and has a 24-hour me sage center. In addition to the above, NEAR, INC. note ers 'a separate benefit which will pay fce all hospital expenses prior to the return of the patient to. Canada. , Travelers and their families who are prepared can thus avoid the frustrating and costly expense of being stricken iil or injured, or even dying while away from home on vacation or business. Unfortunately, many travelers this season will not take the necessary precautions before leaving and will experience their own version of a .$20,000 Nightmare". Don't be one of them!