BALTIMORE /PRNewswire/ -- An unprecedented number of students are participating in study abroad programs this semester, and they are choosing to study in more remote and diverse locations than ever before. This trend is increasing the demand these students have for adequate medical and security resources.

MEDEX Global Group, a travel assistance and medical and security
evacuation company, has noticed a significant uptick in the problems that students are facing when they travel abroad. MEDEX reports a 53% increase in the number of countries where 18 to 23-year olds have required emergency assistance when comparing the first half of this year to just two years ago (from 49 to 75 countries). Approximately one in five medical cases required inpatient treatment versus outpatient care, according to MEDEX data from January through June of 2008. Many of these cases occurred in countries where well-trained medical staff is scarce and local standards for cleanliness are
questionable. In other locations, foreigners are often targeted by criminals and security issues may arise amidst volatile political landscapes.

A recent report from the Institute of International Education found that more than 223,000 Americans are currently studying abroad -- a record number that educators expect to see double by the end of the decade. They are also noticing that study abroad programs in China, Africa, and the Middle East are becoming increasingly popular. While these destinations are rich in cultural opportunity, they can present a number of challenges in the event of a medical or security emergency. According to MEDEX's Global Group Director of Client
Relations, David Mair, many scholastic administrators have to look for more sophisticated preparation strategies and more elaborate comprehensive medical and security programs for their students.

MEDEX Global Group, which provides medical and security services to many of the nation's top schools and universities, recommends that parents and students look for the following components in a study abroad program and insurance package:

-- Destination intelligence services that will provide students with the latest information and guidance about health considerations, personal security concerns, and social or political instability.

-- A list of pre-screened hospitals and other medical providers verified to have quality diagnostic and treatment options meeting international standards for care.

-- Multilingual, 24/7 travel assistance services that can help students when they experience any travel, medical or security emergency.

-- Evacuation coverage, up to $100,000 or more, for emergency medical, security and political evacuations. Also look for the bedside companion benefit that pays for a family member to join a loved one who is hospitalized and alone.

-- Medical insurance that will provide coverage for international
emergencies and even routine medical care performed outside of the U.S. Examine the fine print to make sure that there are no exclusions related to drugs, alcohol and suicide -- these exclusions may exist in programs that are not specifically designed for students.

"Nobody plans to break a bone or to spend their semester in the middle of a war zone -- but it can happen. Just ask the student who fell off of the Great Wall of China, or those who were caught in Beirut when bombs started to fall," said Bruce Kirby, CEO of MEDEX Global Group. "Parents and school administrators share the concern and responsibility for the well-being of their students, so naturally they want to arm their students with everything they need to stay safe and healthy."

ABOUT MEDEX Global Group

MEDEX Global Group is North America's leading provider of international travel, medical and security evacuation and assistance services. For more than 30 years, MEDEX has served individual business and leisure travelers, corporations, scholastic institutions, government agencies and humanitarian organizations. MEDEX services range from pre-trip intelligence and contingency planning to real-time medical case management and complex
emergency evacuations. MEDEX recently partnered with Harvard Medical
International to create MEDEX 360m Global Medical Monitor, the most robust,country-specific medical information website available. For more information, visit http://www.medexglobalgroup.com.

SOURCE MEDEX Global Group

Source: earthtimes.org