Accidents and medical emergencies

Ambulance

The emergency number to call an ambulance in Luxor is 123.

Hospital

There is a large hospital on the outskirts of the East Bank.

Doctors

There are the equivalent of NHS doctors and there are private doctors. Even local people who are not well off tend to go to a private doctor if they or their family or friends can raise the fee.

Most of the tourist hotels have contacts with a local doctor. It is probably best to trust local tour reps and hotel staff who have the experience and the contacts to summon the most appropriate help.

Medication and Pharmacies

Visitors to Egypt are advised to bring an adequate supply of their own medications. If you do run out, or if you suffer a minor medical problem that does not need to be referred to a doctor, you may wish to consult a pharmacist.

Medications that you can only get on prescription in many countries are available over the counter in Luxor. Pharmacies are plentiful.

The following is based on our own experience. It is not medical advice. If in doubt, consult a doctor.

All the pharmacies we have tried have very knowledgeable staff who speak extremely good English and are able to recommend appropriate medication. The most common request is probably for something to deal with a 'gippy tummy'. The pharmacist will ask about the symptoms and will dispense a different medication depending on your responses - cramps or not, sickness or not and so on.

Medication is subsidised by the Egyptian government and is usually much cheaper than an English prescription. However, prices do vary quite a lot between pharmacies, so it is worth checking a few.

The only one we would not recommend is the one in a detached building between the Isis Hotel and Maxime's restaurant. Their prices have tended to be way above the norm when we have visited to compare the costs of common medications.

Of all the pharmacies tried, we have found the best to be one run by Dr. Ayman El-Desoky. It is almost opposite Jewel of the Nile restaurant: slightly off the tourist trail, but worth the trip (see map). Dr El-Desoky speaks fluent English and his prices are the same for foreigners as for local people, whereas elsewhere there may be special tourist prices!

We say again that this is not medical advice, which we are not qualified to give. It is advice based on our own experience of dealing with ailments.

Ailments

Diarrhoea

Traveller's diarrhoea is the most common form of illness for travellers to Luxor. To avoid the problem, the usual recommendation is to eat only thoroughly cooked food and fruit you have peeled yourself. In practice, tummy problems are not necessarily caused by food. See the box for other tummy problem prevention tips.

 

Preventing tummy problems

1. Wash your hands frequently. Yes, of course it's obvious, but it is worth saying. Not everyone has the same hygiene standards. The things you touch, such as money, may have been handled by someone who is not as careful as you about keeping their hands clean. As you will not always be able to get to water easily, take a bottle of alcohol gel which is actually more effective than soap and water at getting rid of bugs. You can get the gel from most chemists. You can also get it online. Click the picture.

2. Don't gulp freezing cold water. Less obvious, but important. Suddenly freezing your hot innards is a shock to the system, which can cause stomach upset. Cold water is lovely on a hot day, but swish it around your mouth to warm it up first.

3. Don't get too cold! There is a temptation to go out in the heat and then come back to near-freezing air conditioning. Your body probably isn't used to rapid extreme changes in temperature and may react.

4. Be careful of open food bowls etc. Do you know who used the sauce bowl before you? Do you know if they dipped their fingers in there by mistake?

If you do suffer diarrhoea, the latest medical recommendation is that you do not take Imodium or similar medications unless it is imperative, and then only the minimum amount necessary.

You may also have become dehydrated. To test whether you are dehydrated, pinch and lift the skin on the back of your hand. Your skin should go back into place straight away. If it does not, you need rehydration.

You can take a rehydration drink, such as 'Dioralite', available in sachets from pharmacies. An alternative is to take a flat, sweet (not diet), fizzy drink, such as cola, because it also contains the sugars and salts you need. To make the cola go flat more quickly, let it come to room temperature, pour it into a clean glass and then pour it from one clean glass to another. Do this until the fizzing stops. Keep sipping the flat drink every five minutes or so until your system is back to normal and your body is rehydrated (do the pinch test).

If either the diarrhoea or dehydration problems persist, ask for a doctor. A house call from a doctor, including treatment for this kind of problem, will typically cost about LE400 - LE500 which you may be able to reclaim from your insurer.

Nile worms - Schistosomiasis (bilharzia)

Since ancient times, the Nile has been the lifeblood of Egypt, but it also carries risks. There is no serious medical problem for tourists who do the normal tourist things. It is nevertheless sensible for people who may be especially active, and may perhaps be tempted to go for a swim whilst sailing along the Nile, to be aware to be aware of this rare disease.

In some parts of the Nile there are tiny freshwater flatworms that carry a disease known as schistosomiasis (also known as bilharzia after Theodor Bilharz, who first identified the parasite in Egypt in 1851). Larval forms of the parasites enter the body through the skin and attach themselves to body tissues.

The first symptom may be tingling and sometimes a light rash around the area where the worm entered or a general feeling of unwellness. Weeks later, a high fever may develop. In another form of the disease there may be pain when passing urine. Not all these symptoms may be evident at first. Sometimes, there are no signs at all for months or even years after infection.

Once the disease is established there may be abdominal pain and blood in the urine. Depending on the form of the disease, a urine test or a blood test is the most reliable way to identify the disease, but the infection may not show up until a number of weeks after exposure.

To avoid the risk, it is best to avoid paddling or swimming in the Nile where where schistosomiasis is present. If you do get wet, dry off vigorously and quickly and dry your clothes as well. There is no need to paddle or swim in the Nile, and the tap water is well chlorinated. There is, therefore, no serious risk to tourists - just something to be aware of in case you are tempted into the river. Chlorinated swimming pools do not carry the risk. There is more about the disease here.

more information: www.luxortraveltips.com