Poor health and illness can bring on urgent medical situations but many can be averted with some careful planning and having knowledge about what you can be faced with.

For health emergencies when travelling overseas there are many considerations you should make before making plans to travel. These include having appropriate vaccinations, making sure your travel insurance is appropriate for the countries and situations you will be in, knowing whether your medication is allowed into the country you are travelling to and having the details of your doctor, specialist or pharmacist with you in case things go wrong.

If you have been diagnosed with an illness or you have a major health problem which may need treatment while you are travelling, take a letter from your doctor explaining the extent of your condition. This will make it easier if there is a medical emergency while you are away.

For more information on health emergencies while travelling log onto the Links section.

For health emergencies in Australia:

• Dial Triple 000 for Ambulance, Police or Fire Brigade in the case on an emergency

• Poisons Information Centre : 131126

• Mental Health Crisis Team is often a mobile psychiatric team available 24 hours a day through your local hospital.

• Australian Government’s Emergency Management Plan www.ema.gov.au

• Lifeline 24 hour counselling service 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au

• NSW Emergency Health Management Plans http://www.emergency.nsw.gov.au/home.html

• The Australian College of Emergency Medicine www.acem.org.au

• College of Emergency Nursing Australasia www.cena.org.au