Specials

HEALTH

• A good medical insurance policy is essential when visiting India, because medical treatment can be very expensive. Be aware that health care facilities in India are limited. However, there are state-operated facilities in towns and cities, and urban areas also have private consultants and specialists.
• Most doctors in India speak English. Ask your hotel to help you get a doctor in a medical emergency. Some of the bigger hotels have their own doctor on call. In case of minor medical problems, a pharmacy will usually be able to help you. Pharmacies are easy to locate as almost every market has one. Most medicines can be obtained without prescription, but make sure you check the sell-by date.
• No vaccinations are legally required. However, it is recommended to have meningitis, typhoid and hepatitis A injections before visiting India. Make sure that you are up to date with tetanus boosters as well.
• Take an ample supply of prescribed medication, as well as a copy of your prescription. Keep the packaging of your medication showing the generic name. This will make it easier to fill prescriptions, especially if the specific brand name is not available. Take an extra pair of glasses and a copy of your prescription as well, as lost or broken glasses can be difficult to replace. If you wear contact lenses, consider wearing glasses for the duration of your stay in India, because the dust and heat can become quite irritating for contact lens wearers.
• A basic health rule is not to drink the water! Not even the ice. Unless you are absolutely sure, always assume that the water is untreated. Use water from containers with a proper seal, or purify it by boiling or treating it chemically. The water in Calcutta is extremely polluted. Take special care, because gastric disease is endemic here.
• If mosquitoes do bite you, try not to scratch the bite as infection and tropical ulcers can easily set in. Also try to stay away from bees, wasps, leeches and snakes!
• Aids is a problem in India, as in most places, so take the necessary precautions. You may want to carry your own syringes and transfusion kit.

• Generally speaking, India is a safe country to visit. Crime levels are well below those of Western countries and violent crime is unusual. However, tourists are always obvious targets for thieves.
• Bihar is notorious for its absence of law and order. Kidnappings, banditry, murder and rape are common occurrences. Be careful when traveling here, especially at night.
• It's advisable to make a copy of your passport, visas, airplane ticket and other important documents to make it easier to get replacements if they are lost or stolen. Also keep a record of the serial numbers of your travelers cheques, and a copy of your travel insurance policy.
• Make sure that your travel insurance policy covers you against theft. If you do get robbed, report it to the police. You will need a police report if you want to file an insurance claim.
• Be alert to credit card fraud: insist that restaurants and shops process your credit card payment in front of you. Sometimes credit cards are used to make duplicate forms, and the client is then billed for fictitious transactions.
• Flooding is India's major natural hazard. By early July, the monsoon (seasonal wind) rages throughout the whole country, bringing moisture with it. Usually it comes from the southwest, but the southeastern coast gets the short and very wet northeastern monsoon. This monsoon brings rain from mid-October to the end of December. The monsoon can be very destructive, resulting in floods, homelessness and even death, as well as causing poor road and rail conditions.