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Insurance
A travel
insurance policy that covers theft, loss and medical treatment is highly
recommended. Make sure the insurance covers the activities that you will be
undertaking during your stay in Myanmar such as trekking or river-rafting.
Immunization
No
immunizations are formally required, although malaria prophylaxes are often
recommended by personal physicians. Occasionally, typhoid, hepatitis,
tetanus and Japanese encephalitis vaccinations should be considered for your
trip. Please consult your physician and get a complete check-up before your
departure.
Medical Kit
A simple but adequate medical kit can be most useful
without taking much space in your baggage. The following is recommended as
tried and true list of items.
-
Aspirin or Panadol -
for pain or fever.
-
Acetaminophen (Paracetamol).
-
Antacid tablets.
-
Antihistamine - useful
as a decongestant for colds, allergies, to ease the itch from insect bites
and stings or to help prevent motion sickness.
-
Kaolin preparation
(Pepto-Bismol), Imodium or Lomotil - for stomach upsets.
-
Rehydration mixture -
for treatment of severe diarrhea.
-
Antiseptic,
mercurochrome and antibiotic powder or similar 'dry' spray - for cuts and
grazes.
-
Sulamyd 10% eye drops.
-
Calamine lotion - to
ease irritation from bites or stings.
-
Throat lozenges (Strepsils).
-
Bandages and Band-Aids
- for minor injuries.
-
Scissors, tweezers and
a thermometer
-
Insect repellent, sun
block, suntan lotion, chapsticks and water-purification tablets.
-
Moleskin.
-
Antibodies - useful if
you are traveling well off the beaten track but they must be prescribed.
General Knowledge
To make yourself an expert on health aspects of
Myanmar would not only be
practical. However, one should have some knowledge on Altitude Sickness (AMS),
Diarrhea, Giardia, Dysentery, Cholera, Hepatitis, Rabies, Typhoid, Tetanus,
Meningitis, Diphtheria, Malaria and Japanese Encephalitis. Common sense can
often save lives.
Prevention the
Best Medicine
Care in what you eat and drink is the most important health
rule. The number one rule is don't consume the water including ice.
Reputable brands of bottled water or soft drinks are generally fine. Take
care with fruit juice, particularly if water may have been added.
Milk should be treated with suspicion as it is often unpasteurised. Boiled
milk is fine if it is kept hygienically, and yogurt is usually good. Tea or
coffee should also be OK since the water would have been boiled. Salads and
fruit should be washed with purified water or peeled where possible. Ice
cream is usually OK if it is a reputable brand name, but beware of ice cream
that has melted and been refrozen. Thoroughly cooked food is the safest but
not if it has been left to cool. Stomach upsets are the most likely travel
health problem but the majority of these upsets will be relatively minor.
Wash your hands frequently, as it's quite easy to contaminate your own food.
You should clean your teeth with purified water rather than straight from
the tap. Avoid climatic extremes: keep out of the sun when it is hot, dress
warmly when it is cold. Avoid potential diseases by dressing sensibly. You
can get worm infections through bare feet. Try to avoid insect bites by
covering bare skin when insects are around, by screening windows or by using
insect repellents. |
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