The dreaded “super bug” – 6 tips for reducing the risk of medical travel

Six tips for avoiding the risks of medical travel

The first case of NDM-1 “super bug” has been confirmed in Japan.  (Miami Herald Wire Service, 09/07/2010.  This person was NOT a medical tourist – which makes this case notable. 

However, the patient had been hospitalized last May after returning from a trip to India.  At that time he had been diagnosed with E.Coli with the NDM-1gene.  The patient was treated and fully recovered.

It is clear from this case that, although no cross infections were reported in the hospital that treated the patient, the infection can still spread among otherwise healthy people.  It is also clear that not everyone who comes in contact is affected.

NDM-1 (full name New Delhi Metalo-Beta-Lactamase-1) is an enzyme.  As previously reported in Traveling4Health.com, NDM-1 turns common bacteria into the antibiotic resistant “super bug” by invading its DNA.

So, is the “super bug” a real issue or just another “super panic”?

Thus far panic has not set in, at least yet; not if panic levels are to be measured by the intensity of media coverage.  The issue failed to produce a media feeding frenzy.

But that can and will change if and when the World Health Organization (WHO) declares that the “super bug” is an issue of concern and imposes global guidelines to reduce the spread of infection.

The emergence of cases that can be tracked back to India is a wake-up call for India’s health authorities.  As a result the issue can have profound and devastating consequences for India’s health sector and therefore for India’s economy in general and the travel sector in particular. 

Certainly it’s alarming news for any tourists, business travel and medical tourists who are scheduled to travel to India.

Certainly there’s a ripple effect throughout the medical tourism industry regardless of the destination.  This development vindicates the medically focused business model of International-Triage, LLC where the very first question on our hospital credentialing application is “types and rate of hospital acquired infections”. 

Should medical travellers be alarmed?  Of course!

We can expect that the super bug will not be limited to India.  Modern travel and commerce are the means by which infections spread.

Six Tips for reducing risk of travel for treatment

1.  Research, research!  Do your homework.  Talk with more than one facilitator and take nothing for granted.   Your goal here is to ascertain their subject matter expertise.

2.  Stay away from “medical travel agencies”.  Select a facilitator who has medical industry qualifications and experience

3.  Inquire about the facilitator’s qualifications

4.  Ask for the professional guidelines and criteria the facilitator uses in selecting medical providers

5.  Find out if the facilitator employs physicians as medical directors

6.  Ask if the facilitator employs clinical case managers.  What are their qualifications?

Feel free to contact our patient “hot line” (+1 305 517 3873) and ask for guidance.  Staff is available to answer any question, even if International-Triage is NOT your medical facilitator.