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Emergency Evacuation
Trekkers should be aware that
there is very little in the way of rescue organization for handling trekker's
emergencies in Nepal. If you are trekking with Eco-friendly trekking, then our
trekking staff are well trained to handle most contingencies. If you are
traveling independently then you will have to rely on your own initiative to
handle any sort of emergency rescue problem. This is why trekking alone is
foolhardy in the extreme in the Himalayan regions.
All trekkers should make sure that they are
covered by a suitable travel insurance policy. This, at least, must cover the
cost of a helicopter rescue, which is the only practical way of evacuating a
seriously ill or injured patient from most of the trekking areas. It is
essential to leave details of this policy with a responsible agency in
Kathmandu. Either your trekking agency or your embassies are the obvious
choices. Registering your details and intended plans with your embassy in
Kathmandu is an extremely sensible step to take.
In the event that you do have a problem, and that problem cannot be solved with
the resources at hand, then communications facilities must be located.
Telephones or radios can be hard to find and may be a day or more away from the
incident site. If it is possible to send a reliable person for help make sure
that a note is sent detailing the location of the patient, the problem being
experienced, specifying what help is needed. List what actions you are going to
take in the interim. Fortunately, these days, helicopters are readily available,
at a price, from Kathmandu and Pokhara. If a message can be sent then it is
likely that a rescue can be mounted reasonably quickly.
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