What spares travelers pain and grief?

Several years ago while traveling in France, I caught a severe cold which was followed by progressively worsening pain in my knee. I didn’t feel the need to go an emergency ward, but the knee was bothering me more each day. At home, I might have gone to a walk-in clinic, but what do you do in a foreign country?

I consulted my handy IAMAT directory, which listed an English-speaking doctor located near my hotel. The doctor saw me immediately, and after a quick examination bundled me into a cab for the hospital. I was there for a week, treated for a severe infection which could have cost me my leg.

What’s IAMAT? A free international medical organization that could save your life if you need medical services while traveling. The non-profit International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers was established in 1960, and membership is your guarantee of good medical care wherever you are in the world.