Staying Healthy - Medical Care - Insurance
Basic precautions will help you to enjoy your holiday.
Clean Drinking Water
Do not drink tap water anywhere, and use filtered water also to brush your teeth. Make sure to drink enough - Nepal is a hot and dusty country.
All drinking water provided at Kopan is boiled and filtered. Filtered water is available in the dining room, bottled water is available in the shop. To save the environment please bring your own water bottle and refill it in the dining room.
Eating out
When eating out, avoid food stalls. Be careful with ice-cream, salads and deep fried foods (these should only be consumed in reputable restaurants). . Avoid excess milky tea, and oily food, which can cause stomach upsets.
Always wash your hands after using public toilets. Most people now bring the hand cleaning lotion with them for this purpose.
Medical Services
The most common medical problems are stomach upsets (which can be bacterial from bad food, or viral) , and chest infections/flu. (Due to the pollution in Kathmandu, chest infections can set in easily. It is advisable to wear face masks when traveling around.)
Medical facilities in Kathmandu Valley are good and widely available. All kinds of medicines, including those imported from overseas are available. Kathmandu Valley also offers the services of major general hospitals and private clinics. If you get sick, it is best to look for medical assistance in one of the widely available Travelers Clinics (they are expensive and advisable for those who have travel insurance) You can also go to one of the local hospitals; most of them are of very good standard and considerably cheaper.
Health posts have been set up by the government in different parts of rural Nepal and you can use them for emergencies.
Travel Insurance
We highly recommend that you take travel insurance that covers all medical and other expenses .
Kathmandu now offers a wide range of good hospitals. There are also private clinics that take special care of travelers needs. All these are costly, and some of them charge US prices. Choose a travel insurance that includes all expenses, covering you for medical emergencies as well as accidents, and repatriation cost. If you are planning to go trekking, it is useful to make sure that any rescue costs are included.
Your Medical Kit
Prescription Medication: Bring enough of your prescription medicine to last during your trip, as well as a copy of the prescription(s) or letter from your health-care provider on office stationery explaining that the medication has been prescribed for you. Always carry medications in their original containers, in your carry-on luggage.
Bring a small First Aid Kit: Be sure to bring along over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medication (e.g., bismuth subsalicylate, loperamide) and an antibiotic prescribed by your doctor to self-treat moderate to severe diarrhea, and light chest infections. Find more information on healthcare in Nepal in the FAQ section on travel and health care. For commonly occurring problems, such simple colds, stomach problems, flu, the Kopan Clinic staff is available.
Vaccinations are not essential for Nepal. However, vaccination for rabies, typhoid and hepatitis are strongly recommended.
If you are going trekking, or if you plan to go to the souther part of Nepal, as precautionary measure, vaccinations for cholera, meningitis, tetanus and diphtheria, typhoid should be considered.