Innovative Health and Safety Travel Guide Focuses on Mexico Issues

By Barbara Kastelein
El Universal, The Herald
Sunday June 6, 2004

Anyone who travels a good deal in Mexico or hosts foreign visitors here regularly becomes aware of the crucial combined issues of travel and health.

We are especially used to stomach trouble in reaction to unfamiliar bacteria in food and water, as well as dehydration and discomfort related to excessive sun exposure. In the case of elderly companions, especially in Mexico City, we may come across breathlessness, sleep difficulties, headaches and water retention.

Those who travel in the country with small children, have suffered an illness here, or even just a healthy and happy pregnancy, are even more attuned to the special preparations that are called for.

As a mother of two small children and close friends with a number of Mexican medical doctors, the concept of health advice for travelers struck me as something needed some years ago. I even thought I should devote a weekly column to it, until I realized that it would need a bit more medical knowledge than I possess.

However, at about the same time, the bilingual Page family based in Arizona and Mexico City started work on the Mexico: Health and Safety Travel Guide.

This 465-page tome, published this spring, has hands-on practical information that is easy to access and understand, as well as a directory of recommended hospitals and English-speaking doctors.

Dr. Robert Page, who had the idea for the book after coming across a student who had an accident in Puerto Vallarta, said he was amazed such a book didn’t exist already given the lack of infrastructure to assist foreigners here in a time of emergency. He formed a publishing company with his sons, Dr. Curtis Page and Robert Page, with the catchy name “MedToGo,” also the name of their website: www.medtogo.com.

The book starts with advice on preparing for a trip to Mexico, with guidelines on immunization and what to put in your travel health kit. A small section on safety and security gives some helpful general guidelines, radio taxi numbers (unfortunately only with one company), as well as embassy and consulate contacts.

After reading this, I fully intend to prepare an “International Travel Medical History and Information Sheet” (there is a handy example of what it might include on pages three and four) for myself and each member of my family before we travel again.

One of my favorite tips in the book is, before departure, sending this to one’s own email so that it can be accessed and printed out at any Internet cafe. Other valuable safety tips are to leave a detailed itinerary and numbers of your passport and other citizenship documents with a friend or relative, as well as keeping photocopies of airline and other tickets and travelers checks in a separate location as well as with a friend at home.

It reminds me of a safety tip a Mexican friend suggested to me a couple of years ago when I complained about being asked for photo ID just to get into a school (I don’t have a valid driver’s license). I do not like to travel around the country, and even less around Mexico City, with my precious passport in case my bag should be stolen. She told me to take small color copies of my passport and immigration documents and get them laminated in plastic (“enmicado”) in any stationery shop.

The book also lists useful websites, but probably the most useful and reassuring section is that on “Symptoms” (from allergies, chest pain, fever and urinary complaints) and “Medical Conditions” (such as altitude sickness and asthma), listed alphabetically. These include subheadings of “Prevention,” “What To Do,” “Treatments,” and “Emergency Care.”

A real innovation and surprise to me was the well-researched section on “Navigating the Mexican Health-Care System.” This is useful to long-stay visitors and residents. It even contains information on “How to Get Health Insurance in Mexico” and “How to Apply for IMSS.”

Lastly, the hospitals and doctors directory takes up the bulk of the guidebook. None paid to be included in the guidebook, and writers of the book held face-to-face interviews with each one.

This is a great boost to the book’s credibility and the guide also makes some poignant comments regarding medical ethics (and a lack of them in the Cancun area) and corruption.

I interviewed Arizona-based Dr. Curtis Page on some remaining queries about the book: On reading “Mexico Health and Safety Travel Guide,” I realized I had never had a Hepatitis A jab, nor have my children who were born here, so I asked if this was really necessary, and if I should recommend it to friends who would be visiting me with children.

He answered, “Yes, you should. Hepatitis A is endemic in Mexico. This is the recommendation from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Just like I would vaccinate any children in Arizona who live in a school district that has a high prevalence of Hepatitis A.”

Although missing some details (for example, advice about wheelchair access) Dr. Page said that the book tried to limit itself to primary health care, using the editorial team’s experience.

I would be interested to hear from readers about their experience and opinions on this topic.

Barbara Kastelein writes a weekly column on travel for The Herald. sirio@data.net.mx