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HEALTH |
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No inoculations are required for Hungary, and standards of public
health are good. Tap water is safe everywhere, while potable springs (
forrás ) and streams are designated on maps, and with signs, as ivóvíz .
The national health service (OTBF) will provide free emergency treatment
in any hospital or doctor's office for citizens of the EU and those from
the former Eastern Bloc and Soviet Union, but there is a charge for
drugs and non-emergency care.
You shouldn't have too much to get alarmed about travelling around
Hungary. Sunburn ( napszúrás ) and insect bites ( rovarcsípés ) are the
most common minor complaints : suntan lotion is sold in supermarkets,
and pharmacists stock Vietnámi balzsam (Vietnamese-made "Tiger Balm" -
the best bug-repellent going) and bite ointment. Mosquitoes are pesky,
but the bug to beware of in forests is the kullancs , which bites and
then burrows into human skin, causing inflammation of the brain. The
risk seems fairly small, but if you get a bite which seems particularly
painful, or are suffering from a high temperature and stiff neck
following a bite, it's worth having it checked out as quickly as
possible.
All towns and some villages have a pharmacy ( gyógyszertár or patika ),
with staff (who are most likely to understand German) authorized to
issue a wide range of drugs. However, pharmaceutical products are mainly
of East European origin, so anyone requiring specific medication should
bring a supply with them. Opening hours are normally Monday-Friday
9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-noon or 1pm; signs in the window give the location
or telephone number of the nearest all-night ( éjjeli or ügyeleti
szolgálat ) pharmacy.
In more serious cases, provincial tourist offices can direct you to
local medical centres or doctors' offices ( orvosi rendelo ), while your
embassy in Budapest will have the addresses of foreign-language-speaking
doctors and dentists , who will probably be in private ( magán )
practice. Private medicine is much cheaper than in the West, as attested
to by the thousands of Austrians who come here for treatment. For
muscular, skin or gynaecological complaints, doctors often prescribe a
soak at one of Hungary's numerous medicinal baths ( gyógyfürdo ).
In emergencies , dial 104 for the Mentok ambulance service, or catch a
taxi to the nearest hospital ( Kórház ). The standard of hospitals
varies enormously, but low morale and shortages of beds testify to poor
wages and the general underfunding of the health service. Depending on
local conditions, Westerners might get the best available treatment, or
be cold-shouldered.
There is an AIDS Advisory Service in Budapest at Budapest VIII, Joszef
út 46 (Mon-Thurs 8am-4pm, Fri 8am-noon; tel 1/303-4490), and an
information line (Mon-Thurs 8am-4pm, Fri 8am-1pm; tel 1/338-2419). There
is another AIDS helpline in Sopron, at Magyar utca 14 (tel 99/333 399).
Medical resources for travellers
WEBSITES
http://health.yahoo.com Information on specific diseases and conditions,
drugs and herbal remedies, as well as advice from health experts.
www.tmvc.com.au Contains a list of all Travellers Medical and
Vaccination Centres throughout Australia, New Zealand and Southeast
Asia, plus general information on travel health.
www.istm.org The website of the International Society for Travel
Medicine, with a full list of clinics specializing in international
travel health.
www.tripprep.com Travel Health Online provides an online only
comprehensive database of necessary vaccinations for most countries, as
well as destination and medical service provider information.
www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk UK NHS website carrying information about
travel-related diseases and how to avoid them.
IN THE UK AND IRELAND
British Airways Travel Clinics 28 regional clinics (call 01276/685040
for the nearest, or consult www.britishairways.com ), with several in
London (Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.15pm, Sat 10am-4pm), including 156 Regent St,
London W1 tel 020/7439 9584 (no appointment necessary). There are
appointment-only branches at 101 Cheapside, London EC2 tel 020/7606
2977; and at the BA terminal in London's Victoria Station tel 020/7233
6661. All clinics offer vaccinations, tailored advice from an online
database and a complete range of travel healthcare products.
Dun Laoghaire Medical Centre 5 Northumberland Ave, Dun Laoghaire, Co.
Dublin tel 01/280 4996, fax 280 5603. Advice on medical matters abroad.
MASTA (Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad) London School of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Operates a pre-recorded 24-hour
Travellers' Health Line (tel 0906/822 4100, 60p per min; Republic of
Ireland tel 01560/147000, 75p per minute), giving written information
tailored to your journey by return of post.
Travel Health Centre Dept of International Health and Tropical Medicine,
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Mercers Medical Centre, Stephen's
St Lower, Dublin tel 01/402 2337. Expert pre-trip advice and
inoculations.
IN THE US AND CANADA
Canadian Society for International Health 1 Nicholas St, Suite 1105,
Ottawa, ON K1N 7B7 tel 613/241-5785, www.csih.org . Distributes a free
pamphlet, Health Information for Canadian Travellers , containing an
extensive list of travel health centres in Canada.
Centers for Disease Control 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333 tel
1-800/311-3435 or 404/639-3534, fax 1-888/232-3299, www.cdc.gov .
Publishes outbreak warnings, suggested inoculations, precautions and
other background information for travellers. Useful website plus
International Travelers Hotline on 1-877/FYI-TRIP.
International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT)
417 Center St, Lewiston, NY 14092 tel 716/754-4883, www.sentex.net/~iamat
; and 40 Regal Rd, Guelph, ON N1K 1B5 tel 519/836-0102. A non-profit
organization supported by donations, it can provide a list of English-speaking
doctors in Hungary, climate charts and leaflets on various diseases and
inoculations.
International SOS Assistance Eight Neshaminy Interplex Suite 207,
Trevose, USA 19053-6956 tel 1-800/523-8930, www.intsos.com . Members
receive pre-trip medical referral info, as well as overseas emergency
services designed to complement travel insurance coverage.
Travel Medicine tel 1-800/872-8633, fax 1-413/584-6656, www.travmed.com
. Sells first-aid kits, mosquito netting, water filters, reference books
and other health-related travel products.
IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Travellers' Medical and Vaccination Centres 27-29 Gilbert Place,
Adelaide tel 08/8212 7522; 1/170 Queen St, Auckland tel 09/373 3531;
5/247 Adelaide St, Brisbane tel 07/3221 9066; 5/8-10 Hobart Place,
Canberra tel 02/6257 7156; 147 Armagh St, Christchurch tel 03/379 4000;
5 Westralia St, Darwin tel 08/8981 2907; 270 Sandy Bay Rd, Sandy Bay,
Hobart tel 03/6223 7577; 2/393 Little Bourke St, Melbourne tel 03/9602
5788; 5 Mill St, Perth tel 08/9321 1977, plus branch in Fremantle; 7/428
George St, Sydney tel 02/9221 7133, plus branches in Chatswood and
Parramatta; Shop 15, Grand Arcade, 14-16 Willis St, Wellington tel
04/473 0991.
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