You’re in Good Hands… With O.A.T.

By Carol Bowman, 19-time traveler from Spring, TX

A question in the minds of all travelers, but surfacing more frequently for the older demographic Overseas Adventure Travel guest: "What happens if I experience a medical emergency during an O.A.T. tour through a less traveled, far-away country?" Well, I am here to proclaim, ‘You’re in good hands with O.A.T.’ Reassurance that O.A.T.’s experienced trip leaders have been highly trained to evaluate, assist and implement a plan to deal with an emergency medical situation, cannot be emphasized enough.

Starting out as O.A.T. travelers in 2006, covering all parts of the world, and recently completing our 18th tour on O.A.T.'s Tunisia: From the Mediterranean to the Sahara adventure, I have noticed the age of participants escalate way beyond 50. But with age comes that unexpected medical emergency, anytime, anywhere.

Before we left home, I remarked, "I hope there are no health surprises," because beyond the Arabic language barrier, I am unaware of the quality or availability of medical care in the far-flung areas on this Tunisian itinerary. On day two of the tour, my husband and I were about to find out. More importantly, we realized that with O.A.T., we never felt alone or abandoned; the Trip Experience Leader and regional O.A.T. personnel assigned eased the stress and anxiety, and helped us obtain a medical resolution.

It’s a good thing Carol and Ernest weren’t already in the remote sands of the Sahara Desert when his knee injury occurred!

To our good fortune, we were still in Tunis, capital of Tunisia, exploring the Tunis Medina, when my husband’s knee just gave out, unexpectedly, and first occurrence ever. He fell to the ground, pain radiating, and mobility limited upon standing. Makrem Kahlifa, our excellent Trip Experience Leader, realized that my husband, unable to fully participate in the next day’s itinerary, needed a medical evaluation, before we traveled by plane south to very remote areas of Tunisia.

Makrem promptly set the plan in motion. We skipped that day’s itinerary. The O.A.T. Program Services Manager for Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, Sami Mhenni, bypassed an appointment with a general practitioner and made arrangements directly with an Orthopedic Specialist, Dr. Sboui Khalil, to address the presenting problem quickly. Sami arrived at the hotel, personally escorted my husband and I by car to Dr. Khalil’s office in La Marsa, a suburb of Tunis. Sami acted as our translator, registered my husband’s personal details with the physician’s receptionist, and waited, should we need his services or support during the examination. All those fears and anxieties that we had played with the night before just melted away. We had transferred our trust to the O.A.T. team.

Carol’s husband, Ernest, at a medical center in Tunisia.

Dr. Khalil spoke English, performed a thorough examination, determined a diagnosis, ordered medication to treat the symptoms and assured my husband that by following the treatment offered, he could continue the rest of the O.A.T. trip without issue. He displayed a humorous side and exchanged pleasantries with us in a friendly, calm manner. He became our "trip-saver hero." Previous concerns about the quality or availability of Tunisian medical care evaporated in air.

Sami escorted us to the local pharmacy, interacted with the pharmacist in Arabic as to the list of prescribed injections and medications, helped us understand the dosage and times and the restrictions as outlined by the pharmacist. We could not have done this without his support or translation. Because we had missed that day’s activities, Sami gave us a brief tour of the area, then, returned us back to the hotel. We felt relieved, relaxed, and reinvigorated by O.A.T.’s incredible assistance and my husband felt the pain already subsiding.

Carol and Ernest were able to enjoy the rest of their Tunisia: From the Mediterranean to the Sahara adventure—thanks to the swift responses of Makrem, Sami, and Dr. Khalil.

Because of Makrem’s astute evaluation and Sami’s critical assistance we were able to successfully complete the entire 15-day tour of Tunisia, and my husband was able to participate in the itinerary with little discomfort. Without O.A.T.’s help, we might have faced a 16-hour plane ride back home after only two days on tour.

On the group’s departure date, Makrem handed me a detailed report of the medical assistance offered, to file with Trip Mate Insurance Company for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred. Makrem completed the follow-up process paperwork, without our request. His trip leadership skills never failed, ever.

Carol and Ernest dressed in some traditional Tunisian attire during their trip.

So, for any O.A.T. traveler with that nagging question: "What if I have a medical emergency while on tour," remember this anecdote. This did not happen in Rome or Paris or Tokyo. This happened in Tunisia, a fact that should make you even more confident, that the O.A.T. team will help, no matter where, no matter when.

Experience the magic of Tunisia—from bustling medinas to Saharan sunsets (and hopefully no knee troubles)—on our Tunisia: From the Mediterranean to the Sahara adventure.