Doctors
on call facility is available in most of the resorts.
Contract the reception of your resort and they will do
the needful. It is advisable to carry basis medicines
and first aid kit along when you travel. Pharmacies can
usually advise on minor medical problems, and most doctors
in Goa speak English.
CHILDREN
The main problem for children, especially small one,
is their extra vulnerability. Even more than their parents,
they need protecting from the sun, unsafe drinking water,
heat and unfamiliar food. Diarrhea, perhaps just a nuisance,
could be dangerous for child; dehydration salts are vital
if you child goes down with it. Make sure that you your
child is aware of the dangers of rabies; keep children
away from animals, and consider a rabies jab.
MALARIA
Malaria, caused by a parasite transmitted in the saliva
of female Anopheles mosquitoes, is currently the number
one killer in the developing world. Compared with the
rest of of India, its incidence in Goa is relatively small,
but it is still advisable to take precautions. It is advisable
to take preventive tablets according to a strict routine,
covering the period before and after your trip.
DIARRHEA
Diarrhea
is the most common bane of travelers. When mild and not
accompanied by other major symptoms, it may just be your
stomach reacting to unfamiliar food. Accompanied by cramps
and vomiting, it could well be food poisoning. In either
case, it will probably pass of its own accord in 24 to
48 hours without treatment. In the meantime, it is essential
to replace the fluids and salts you are losing, so take
lots of \water with oral dehydration salts, commonly referred
as Electrolyte in Goa.
ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCIES
Goa
has witnessed a disturbing spate of fatal, or near-fatal,
accidents involving tourists over the past few years,
most of them connected with motorcycles. It is therefore
essential when raveling by rented transport or to know
where to go if either you, or someone you are with, gets
badly injured, as few hospitals in the state have the
sophisticated equipment or specialist doctors need to
specify diagnose serious injuries. Making strait for the
right clinic instead of the wrong casualty department
can save your life.
HIV AND AIDS
AIDS is still a relatively
unknown quantity in India, and often regarded as a foreign
problem, but indications are that HIV levels are already
high among prostitutes, and the same presumable applies
to intravenous drug users. It is extremely unwise to contemplate
casual sex. Should you need an injection or transfusion
in Goa, make sure that new, sterile equipment is used.
Any blood you receive should be from voluntary donor.
If you have a shave from a barber, make sure he uses a
clean blade, and don't submit to processes such as ear-piercing,
acupuncture or tattooing unless you can be sure that the
equipment is sterile.
