Costs/infrastructure of medical care

The medical and health infrastructures leave a lot to be desired, especially outside the capital Dhaka. In the event of a serious problem, a medical repatriation or transfer to a hospital in Bangkok or Singapore is recommended. It is necessary to take out insurance covering medical repatriation and to consult your GP before departure. Don’t forget to take a decent travel pharmacy with you.

Some hospital addresses in Dhaka:

Wahab Clinic: Road 12, House 3, Baridhara, Dhaka; Phone: 00880 2 882 1454

Apollo Hospital : Plot 1, Block E, Bashundara R/A, Dhaka. Phone: 00880 2 986 07 25

Zaima Haque Sikder Hospital: Road 104, House 5, Gulshan 2, Dhaka; Phone. : 00880 2 9887458 / 881 5363

Flu A(H1N1)

Since June 2009, the A/H1N1 flu (the so-called “swine flu” or “swine flu”) made its appearance in Bangladesh.

Safety water and food

Almost all health problems in Bangladesh are related to water and food, which can cause acute diarrhoea. It is recommended to drink bottled mineral water or, failing this, to use filters or purifying tablets or to let the tap/well water boil for a long time. The water of a river, lake or pond is under no circumstances drinkable. Regular use can cause serious contamination due to the natural arsenic content present in groundwater.

Malaria

In Bangladesh, malaria is endemic in rural areas, especially in the Sundarbans and Chittagong Hill Tracts. For short stays, it is strongly recommended to sleep under a mosquito net, use mosquito repellent products containing DEET and take a prophylactic agent. Depending on your general state of health, your doctor will prescribe the most appropriate treatment.

Dengue fever 

Dengue fever is a viral infection, spread by mosquitoes, which bite mainly during the day and at night. Dengue is endemic to Bangladesh, especially during the rainy season. Symptoms include high fever, muscle and joint pain, and skin rash. There is no vaccine against dengue. Since this disease is dangerous and in some cases even fatal, it is important to see a doctor immediately as soon as these symptoms are noticed and to always protect yourself against mosquitoes by using a mosquito repellent product containing DEET, sleeping under a mosquito net and wearing long clothing. to carry. Dengue occurs in both urban and rural areas.

Chikungunya

Chikungunya fever is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes that bite during the day (particularly at sunrise and sunset) in the warmest season. The symptoms are: acute high fever, muscle pain, joint pain and red skin spots. Protective measures: use a mosquito repellent product with DEET, sleep under a mosquito net, wear long clothing at nightfall. There is no specific treatment or vaccine. Chikungunya occurs in both urban and rural areas.

Traveler’s diarrhea

Measures to prevent travellers’ diarrhea such as washing hands and disinfecting drinking water are essential. When treating diarrhea, it is paramount to prevent and treat dehydration. To prevent dehydration, special saline solutions can be used, which are available at the pharmacy. It is best to avoid the antidiarrhoeal drugs sold in local pharmacies, which are often ineffective or even dangerous.

AIDS, hepatitis B and C

Sexually transmitted diseases are widespread in Bangladesh. It is recommended to protect yourself.

Bilharziose

Never walk barefoot in standing water. 

Zika

The Zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which bites mainly during the day. In most cases, the virus shows no symptoms, but the following symptoms may occur: fever, headache, skin rash, muscle

and joint pains, fatigue and red eyes. Travelers are generally advised to protect themselves against mosquito bites by using a mosquito repellent product containing DEET, sleeping under a mosquito net. and by wearing long-sleeved clothes with long pants.

The virus is also responsible for cases of microcephaly in infants. Pregnant women and women who wish to become pregnant in the near future are therefore asked to postpone their trip. If this is not possible, they should contact their doctor and take the necessary precautions against mosquito bites.

As a precautionary measure, travelers returning from an affected area are advised to avoid any unprotected sexual contact for two months after return.

Vaccinations

Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for all travelers.

Als recommended:
– Tetanus
– Diphtheria 
– Whooping Cough
– Polio
– Measles
– Mumps
– German measles

Yellow fever does not occur here. Vaccination is not necessary if you are traveling from countries without yellow fever. Vaccination is mandatory from the age of nine months/one year:

– If you are traveling from another country where yellow fever can occur.
– If you have been in transit for more than 12 hours at an airport in a country where yellow fever occurs.

The vaccination must be administered at least ten days before arrival at a yellow fever vaccination center and registered in an International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis.

Talk to your doctor about whether any of the following vaccinations are recommended for you:

– Typhoid
– Japanese encephalitis
– Rabies
– Hepatitis B
– Flu
– Pneumococci