SAA Netcare Travel Advisory

Netcare Travel Advisory

• Whether travelling for business or leisure, visit a SAA-Netcare Travel Clinic before departing in order to obtain essential medical advice and care.
• Remember to take any relevant medical vaccination certificates with you. You may not be allowed into certain countries if you do not have the certificates with you.
• Be conscious of the health risks that you are exposed to in the areas in which you are travelling.
• Adopt this as your motto in developing countries with regards to food: "Boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it!"
• Be cautious of animals, particularly in developing regions. Should you be bitten, scrub the wound well with soap and water and seek immediate medical attention.
• While travelling through developing countries, swim only in chlorinated swimming pools or seawater. You many risk contracting bilharzia to do otherwise.
• Should you develop diarrhoea, nausea, a chronic (long-term) cough, night sweats or flu-like symptoms while travelling, consult a doctor immediately. Remember: YOU HAVE MALARIA UNTIL OTHERWISE PROVEN!
• A first-aid kit is essential, particularly when travelling to developing countries where medical facilities may be sparse. This should - at the minimum - consist of: plasters, bandages, painkillers, cleaning fluids, mosquito repellent, water purifiers, sun block cream/lotion and anti-diarrhoea tablets. You may want to include condoms and/or birth-control measures.
• Consider seriously the benefits of having travel insurance. Accidents and illnesses do, unfortunately, occur. Knowing that you are covered by insurance and will be repatriated (taken home) in emergencies will provide you with peace of mind on your travels.
• Monitor your health for at least three months. Should you develop diarrhoea, nausea, a chronic (long-term) cough, night sweats or flu-like symptoms, consult a SAA-Netcare Travel Clinic immediately. All clinic employees have been extensively trained in travel-related illness and, where required, will make appropriate referrals to the nearest Netcare hospital.

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