Client's Story

>‘I dipped my front tire into the Atlantic in Swakopmund after cycling 720 km in the UK and 3 925km in Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia. My trip was winding down and I was looking forward to getting to Sossuvlei then down to Cape Town since everyone told me I should visit.

Since I couldn't find anyone to drive to Sossuvlei from Swakop, I took a lift for a few days on gravel roads to hike in some mountains with a couple that had a 1970's version 4x4 (Toyota Hi-Lux). A & N were able to load my bike onto the roof and would drop me off in Windhoek.

After a great day at Spitzkoppe, we were heading to Brandeberg. While dozing in the rear seat, I was startled awake just as the bakkie tilted due to two wheels going off the side of the road. Very quickly, we cut back across the road and I watched as the left side of the truck slammed into the ground and I shot across the inside. I thought I was alert and remember the sound and smell of gravel flying, coming to rest on top of my head, hearing gas hiss (propane for cooking) and climbing out of a popped open window on my second or third try due to pain in my back. I tried to walk but had too much pain and asked A to help me to the side of the road for fear of any oncoming cars. I was in the worst shape of the three of us by a long shot. I still don't know how I got out since they tell me they pulled me out through the windshield! The guess is we rolled 3/4 to 1 and 3/4 times. Damn lucky none of the petrol in the tank nor in the 3 20 gallon cans above our heads (before the roll) ignited.

While lying on my back, roadside, a car came by and went for help into a small town 5km away.

The police arrived and asked if I wanted a lift to town since the nearest hospital was 120km away on a gravel road. Initially I said no because the pain was too great to walk and I didn't know how badly I was injured. I asked if he could call my insurance since I knew they would reverse charges, but he said no international phone calls from town. The police called a local ambulance and told me it would be 2+ hours before it arrived.

As a group of people was planning to put up a tarp to shield me from the sun, I asked how they could transport me to town. 90 minutes on my back in the sun with gravel pushing up on whole body was driving me nuts. I gave the ok to lift me, using a board, onto the flatbed of a pick-up. I hoped that wouldn't do anymore damage since I never had felt so much pain before.

The 5 minutes drive to the clinic was smoother than expected. They actually used a stretcher to move me inside to the basic clinic. I asked the police to try to call my insurance and it worked! I could not talk to them since the phone, in another room, did not have a long cord. But they could not verify I had paid because some number was not on the paperwork I had printed. The sister (nurse) wanted to thread me with an IV on the advice of the doc at the insurance. I said no way to any needles. I'm in the bush in a country with a 10-20% AIDs rate and you want to put a needle in me?

I pushed to get on the phone, so they dragged the bed and stretched the phone line. The insurance folks have a doc on the line. After my explanation of the situation, she explains to me why I need an IV (for sudden surgery) and I should ask to see the needle come out of a new package. Then I find out the insurance guy can't verify me, so I ask them to call Tourmed using the number from the web. Then ok - they acknowledge me. The doc on the phone decides to airlift me to the capital of Namibia versus a 120km ride on gravel to a limited service hospital + 250k more on tarmac to a good one. I think airlift, how much will that cost? But there is no mention of my pre-paying; glad I bought good insurance.

During the call, the Omaruru road ambulance arrives with a great nurse. She explains a lot to me, tests my kidneys, does the IV, and shoos away the local drunk who keeps popping in to talk to the layed up tourist (in a language I don't know). She also is wise enough to stay close which keeps my mind from running away. She also stays to bring me out to wherever the helicopter or plane lands.

So the plane ambulance arrives with a great RSA paramedic and two pilots for the Piper jet. The Kiwi pilot used to test the Piper’s in Missouri, USA. They had a cool thermarest sized mat that stiffened around my body for transport when a vacuum is applied. It was my first time on a plane without buying a ticket. While aboard, I tell the pilot I have no idea how my pain level is relative to my injury – it’s the worst I felt. I don't want all this trouble for nothing. So he tells me of the walk, talk and drop syndrome. After many a rollover, people hop out and are amazed that nothing is wrong. Then someone yells at them. As they turn their neck to respond, snap goes the upper vertebrae into the spinal cord- game over.

After landing, I’m driven over to a private hospital. The doctor sends me in for x-rays and they tell me no breaks. Great. On Saturday the radiologist comes in and observes a minor fracture. It is meaningless, but based on that, the accident type, and some misshapen vertebrae he wants a MRI. There is no MRI on weekends, so I have to wait until Monday.

On Monday, I lay down for the 1 hour MRI. The radiologist saw two more serious fractures, two compression fractures. Discs are OK. After another delay, my doctor tells me I should have a lot of pain and is glad I'm able to minimize medication. Based on his consult with the radiologist and an orthopedic doctor, he will release me the next am. I’m Ok to walk, bus, take a plane in 3 weeks, but I should limit the rough stuff until the bones heal some. He didn’t mention physical therapy which was unexpected.

At checkout, the hospital said no to insurance. I tell them I bought this insurance under the expectation that I didn’t have to pay up front. After having their administrator talk with ISOS, the hospital agreed to handle it directly. I only had to pay for my phone calls. Insurance would have, but hospital didn't allow that. I then took a cab with my gear and MRI/x-rays to keep the trip going and not end on a bad note.

Two weeks later I made it to see Sossuvlei and bussed down to Cape Town for a week before my return to the US.

All things considered, the medical care was good and I’m glad I talked to a bunch of people about insurance needs before the trip. One guy told me of a car accident he had in RSA with serious injuries and a lady at Blues Fest told me of her heart trouble while in Kenya. The hospital would not admit her without demonstrating she could pay beforehand. She needed her two friends to include their credit card limits to gain entry. Since I intended to travel on a bike, often in the middle of nowhere with a higher possibility of bumping my head, I knew I needed different insurance than the one I used in Australia and New Zealand earlier in the year. Their system required I pay for care up front, which may not have worked based on my condition, and limits on my credit card. All of the 4-5 companies I asked about wanted me to pay first, until I came across Tourmed. Since I had read of other folks problems getting insurance OK’s because the home countries insurance approval system was not open in that time zone, I decided an African based insurance was best for me. I guess non-African based companies most likely would not know where appropriate care was located. The doctors on my phone call did. Tourmed covered all my countries of travel and answered a few questions I had before paying on the web.’

One of the many pleasures of travel is the new experiences one will have, how different it is from one’s own country and all the treasured memories that it brings.

We would like to re-iterate though, that regardless of where one travels to unfamiliar territory worldwide, there is always the possibility of encountering a range of difficulties.

There is, however, NO replacement for pre-planning one’s trip and making sure that one has the correct mechanisms in place prior to travel. No use taking a wetsuit to the Kalahari!

By the same token, for a few minutes of forethought and research, Joe’s African cycling adventure was averted from being a potential disaster to concluding his trip visiting Robben Island and sipping a cool drink in Cape Town’s Waterfront!

I was fortunate to meet with Joe during the remainder of his trip to Cape Town. I am pleased to advise that Joe has since returned to the USA safe and sound, having experienced first hand the necessity of purchasing the relevant travel medical insurance for Southern Africa.

We are sure to have Joe visit our beautiful shores again in the future, hopefully with some of his family, who we agreed would be awe struck at what an experience Southern Africa is to travelers new and experienced and we are positive that they too will have a memorable visit!

Please contact us directly at support@sa-tourmed.com  or telephone us
 on +27 (0)21 979 4419 for further information.