Archive for January 31st, 2011

Travel Bulletin Egypt: Stay or Go?

Monday, January 31st, 2011 by

The following advice was provided by Altegrity Risk International, a provider of high-quality investigative, analytic, consulting and security services to business around the world:

At the moment, it is recommended that travelers follow the state department advisories, which advise against travel to Egypt.   So far the state department is offering voluntary evacuations but has not begun mandatory evacuations.  Clients of ARI are advised to only evacuate if they can safely do so; and if they can’t, all foreign nationals should obey the curfew and stay indoors if possible.  There have already been reports of chaos at the Cairo airport, so foreign nationals should not head to the airport unless they have already secured a safe route to the airport and a flight out of the country, otherwise it is best to sit tight. 

We will post updates as they become available; the latest advisories from the U.S. State Department can be found on their website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1108.html.

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Travel Bulletin Egypt: Emergency Medical Care Available

Monday, January 31st, 2011 by

HTH sources in Egypt indicate that private hospitals in Cairo and Alexandria remain open and comparatively well-supplied at the moment.  Many of them are focusing on emergency cases and inpatient care, so routine scheduled outpatient care may not currently be available.

Public hospitals are likely to be operating beyond normal capacity during times of crisis, as the ongoing demonstrations have left over 100 dead and scores of others injured and requiring medical attention.

Response services for emergency situations is poor, especially in Cairo and Alexandria, as well as other major cities where ambulances are subject to significant traffic congestion. The current situation has resulted in reduced traffic on the roads, but response times will, however, be affected by the increase in demand, especially during periods of intense rioting.

Most private physicians in Cairo and Alexandria have closed their practices today, although many are still seeing emergency patients with limited hours at private hospitals.

Starting today, the U.S. Department of State is assisting U.S. citizens in coordinating “transportation to safehaven locations in Europe” on a reimbursement basis. According to the U.S. Government, “priority will be given to persons with medical emergencies or severe medical conditions.”  Interested U.S. Citizens should contact the U.S. Department of State by calling +1.202.501.4444 and be prepared with their name, age, place of birth, U.S. passport number and any special medical needs.

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