BE PREPARED FOR A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Twelve months may seem like a relatively short period of time but when it comes to your health, you can never be too careful. A medical emergency can be frightening, an all-too-frequent experience that few people are prepared for. But there are a few steps you can take in advance to better handle a crisis.

‘Make sure all your important health information is readily available,’ advises Dr Al Tuckmachy. ‘Build in some redundancy to your household and make duplicates and stow the copies in several easyto-access places. Also, add your emergency contacts’ information – their home, work and cell numbers – into your own mobile phone. Identify it as ICE, which stands for In Case of Emergency, instead of listing it under the person’s name.’ This can be accessed without unlocking on some phone models.

Dr Al Tuckmachy shares some smart ways to keep your holiday on track. ‘Prepare a medical folder for every person travelling, including a photocopy of both the itinerary and each person’s health insurance card. Include a page that lists current medical conditions, prescription drugs, immunisations and blood types. Make an extra copy of the contents of each folder and leave it with a friend or relative at home.’