Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
children. Take a few sachets with you, or
make your own by adding half a teaspoon of
salt and three of sugar to a litre of cool,
previously boiled water. While down with
diarrhoea, avoid milk, greasy or spicy foods,
coffee and most fruit, in favour of bland
foodstuffs such as rice, plain noodles and
soup. If symptoms persist, or if you notice
blood or mucus in your stools, consult a
doctor.
To avoid stomach complaints, eat at places
that look busy and clean and stick to fresh,
thoroughly cooked food. Beware of food that
has been pre-cooked and kept warm for
several hours. Shellfish is a potential hepatitis
A risk, and best avoided. Fresh fruit you've
peeled yourself is safe; other uncooked
foods may have been washed in unclean
water. Shanghai's tap water can be a little
suspect, so try to avoid drinking it. Boiled or
bottled water is widely available.
Finally, note that though Shanghai is a
pretty permissive place, there is widespread
ignorance of sexual health issues. Always
practise safe sex.
Expats with medical insurance tend to use
private clinics such as World Link (Suite
203 Shanghai Centre;
T
62797688,
W
www
.worldlink-shanghai.com) and the Interna-
tional Medical Centre (551 Pudong Nan Lu,
by Pudong Dadao;
58799999); both the
above also provide dental treatment.
Pharmacies are marked by a green cross.
Be wary of backstreet pharmacies as
counterfeit drugs are common (check for
spelling mistakes in the packaging or instruc-
tions). There is a 24-hour pharmacy at 201
Lianhua Lu, Changning (
T
62941403), and
another outside the Huashan Hospital (see
above). Watson's (daily 9am-9pm) is a good
brand o head for over-the-counter
medicines. There are large branches at 787
Huaihai Zhong Lu and 616 Nanjing Dong Lu,
in the basements of the Times Square Mall
on Huaihai Lu, Raffles Mall on Fuzhou Lu
and Westgate Mall on Nanjing Xi Lu.
T
Medical resources for travellers
In the UK and Ireland
MASTA (Medical Advisory Service for
Travellers Abroad)
UK
Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies
T
0870 606 2782,
W
www
.masta-travel-health.com. Forty clinics across the UK.
Tropical Medical Bureau
Republic of Ireland
T
1850 487674,
Medical facilities in Shanghai are pretty
good: there are some high-standard interna-
tional clinics, big hotels have a resident
doctor, and for minor complaints, there are
plenty of pharmacies that can suggest
remedies. Most doctors will treat you with
Western techniques first, but will also know
a little Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Chinese hospitals sometimes charge high
prices for simple drugs and procedures that
aren't necessary - they'll put you on a drip
just to administer antibiotics - so be wary of
price gouging. In an emergency you're better
off taking a cab than waiting for an ambulance
- it's quicker and will work out much cheaper.
Some English is spoken at the Ruijin Hospital
(197 Ruijin Er Lu;
W
www.tmb.ie.
In the US and Canada
Canadian Society for International Health
W
www.csih.org. Extensive list of travel health
centres in Canada.
CDC
www.cdc.gov. Official
US government travel health site.
International Society for Travel Medicine
W
www.istm.org. A full list of clinics worldwide
specializing in travel health.
T
1-877-394-8747,
W
In Australia, New Zealand and South
Africa
Netcare Travel Clinics
W
www.travelclinic.co.za.
Travel clinics in South Africa.
Travellers' Medical & Vaccination Centre
W
64664483) and the
Huashan Hospital (12 Wulumuqi Zhong Lu;
T
T
www.tmvc.com.au. Website lists travellers'
medical and vaccination centres throughout Australia
and New Zealand.
62489999) has a specialist foreigners' clinic
on the eighth floor. The United Family Hospital
on 1139 Xianxia Lu (
T
51331900,
W
www
.unitedfamilyhospitals.com) is a complete
hospital staffed by doctors trained in the
West. Expect to pay around ¥500 as a
consultation fee at each of the above.
Insurance
With medical cover expensive you'd be wise
to have
37
travel insurance. There's little
