Health care services in Kathmandu Valley are of a high standard; acceptable for foreign tourists. All kinds of medicines, including many imported from overseas, are available in the city. Kathmandu Valley also contains major general hospitals and private clinics. In rural Nepal, government health posts have been set up, but for emergencies or major health crises an evacuation to Kathmandu may be necessary.
Useful Tips:
- A travel insurance policy that covers medical treatment is recommended for all tourists.
- Similarly, we recommend you make sure that your insurance covers adventure activities such as trekking, rafting etc. that you will be undertaking during your stay in Nepal.
- Special vaccinations are not necessary when visiting Nepal, but we still recommend consulting a doctor before travelling for a complete checkup.
- We recommend that you undertake fitness training programs if you plan to go high-altitude trekking or mountaineering when visiting Nepal.
- Please read up on altitude sickness (AMS), diarrhea, giardia, dysentry, cholera, hepatitis, rabies, typhoid, tetanus, meningitis, diptheria, malaria and HIV/ AIDS. Information and small precautions can often save lives.
- Always make sure that your water is clean by opting for boiled and then cooled water, treated water or sealed water.
- Always carry a bottle of water for hydration when trekking or venturing off away from the city/ town.
- Do not walk barefoot on damp mud and grass in unknown areas.
- Please be careful swimming in lakes and rivers, especially where depth and vegetation are not known.
- Please have a handy medical first aid kit ready for any situation.
Medical Kit:
A simple but adequate medical kit can be very useful while traveling to Nepal. Some recommended medicines and other essentials are listed below:
- Lip Salve (chapstick, blistex, or glacier cream)
- Sun lotion or sunblock
- Foot powder
- Band-Aids (plasters) and tape
- Moleskin or other blister pads
- Elastic bandage
- Antiseptic
- Aspirin
- Throat lozenges or cough drops
- Decongestant tablets
- Iodine for water purification
- Toilet paper and matches or cigarette lighter to burn used TP
- Bacterium or other diarrhoea remedy
- Thermometer
- Antibiotic eye drop
- Anti-inflammatory drugs (ibroprofen)
- Azithromycin
- Clotrimazole 1% or miconazole 2%
- Decongestant (Actifed)
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- Hydrocortisone 1%
- Ioperamide (Imodium)
- Norfloxacin 400mg or ciprofloxacin
- Paracetamol
- Painkiller
- Promethazine (Phenergan)
- Ranitidine
- Rehydration salts
- Tinidazole
