One of the biggest reasons to stay home in the West is the belief that health care in developing nations is scary. I agree that it can be. I was a person who spent about $100 a month at the health food store and went to farmers' markets to buy vegetables as often as I could afford. My doctor wanted to give me a plethora of vaccines, which I started to comply with but then decided not to. Many tourists get everything they can, hep. B, polio booster, etc. and I wondered if I had made the right decision.
I've gotten sick on a few occasions. The first time I just stayed in my guesthouse room until it passed. It was pretty horrible. I learned from that experience, but not enough to know what to do the next time.
The next time I got sick my assistant de jour had been taking his 'rake' every time he did anything or took me anywhere. I didn't have enough money to go to a proper hospital without having to juggle money around. This time I had to go where the local people go. It was pretty scary, but they tested me, said I had a bladder infection and I was fine in a couple days. This time I learned a couple of lessons, the first being to pull back on the trust factor.
I write about health care in Nepal in my eBook, Nepal; A Tourist's Manual, but since it seems to be 'out of print' again I will provide one huge tip from the Health chapter. Do not go to CWIC, the tourists' clinic near the British embassy unless you have travel insurance that will allow you to get treated without having to take from your budget. It's a fine medical provider, but expensive if you have to pay out of pocket. At CWIC you will over-pay by about 400% or so. Instead, you will need to find the right hospital. For example, if you have a heart issue there is a wonderful, new cardiac care hospital in the Lazimpath area. If you pulled your back out or broke your leg you would need to find the proper hospital for that. Bottom line: make sure it isn't a government hospital.
You should also be sure to bring a local Nepali with you to the hospital. Although the doctors do speak English, the procedure is quite chaotic. The hospitals don't provide anyone to help so it would be $10 well spent to have a local person accompany you. Just ask your guesthouse manager or staff for someone.
So, what do I use for a health food store and farmers' market? There are these wonderful, little franchised store called Patanjali, a creation of Baba Ram Dev of India. I get coconut oil 1 NRs. per gram, healthy cookies, alternative flours and many other interesting things. We buy local vegetables so there are seldom any chemicals, although they are not certified organic. There are farmers' markets weekly throughout most of the year, too.
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