Aug 7th, 2011
Travel Medical Kits For Third World Countries
Holiday journey to places away from developed world can be an vastly satisfying experience, however requires added considerations when choosing or adding to a travel first aid kit. While medical services available to travelers in primary under developed cities are often adequate, emergency services or access to medical supplies in the countryside can be simple or even non-existent.
It is often the beauty of the countryside or exotic, remote historical sites that lure travelers to developing countries. Hiking the Andes of South America to view Incan ruins and bicycling visits in the wilderness of Vietnam are desired destination trips which have driven visitors from Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and the United States in recent years.
Yearly vacation to these locations are generally undertaken in small groups for both safety and companionship. So whether adequate number of appropriate travel first aid kits should be purchased, or a single kit should be stocked to give enough supplies for all members of the party in the event of an emergency. Multiple travel first kits are ideal so that in the event of theft or the loss of one person’s traveling gear the group will not lose all of its emergency medical supplies.
Travel first aid kits should come in convenient, compact bags that are both durable and water resistant. As stomach stress is normal predicament for recreational travelers visiting developing countries, individuals should consider adding oral rehydration products to their own kit to be able to maintain electrolyte levels in case of severe diarrhea.
Prevention of course is better than remedy, so tourists should also think about taking along water purification capsules or even light-weight, portable filtration systems if they will be depending on local water sources for their hydration. Also, mosquito repellent and mosquito nets are import add ons for individual or groups traveling in countries in which malaria is a common health problem.
A couple of final consideration for a travel first aid kit: The first is to purchase it before leaving home. Kits can be tough to find in developing countries, and local sellers catering to vacationers may demand high costs. The second is for travelers to read their kit’s first aid manual and acquaint themselves using the equipment and treatments before a medical emergency develops. Even the best-stocked travel first aid kit will not do its owner little good if he or she does not know how to use its contents.
For suggestions on a portable First Aid Kit which can cope with a variety of extreme locations this review on Survival First Aid Kits may an ideal start.
