Health Care / Issues
 

Two questions:

Does anyone have any information or thoughts on health care aboard the cruises from St. Petersburg to Moscow? I know there are Doctors on board some of the ships but was interested in any travelers comments on the topic of medical issues.

Of course there are the travel policies sold by US companies but how does this all work once you are in Russia?

I think you should contact your cruise company directly about this - I would certainly not expect to have a doctor on board a river cruise. (The only reason they have them on ocean cruises is because they're out of reach of land.)

Health care in Russia is not up to US standards and many drugs available here are rare or not obtainable there. So if you have any substantial exisitng health problems I would be sure to take with you at least double amounts of any mediciation you might possibly need. Also a list of contact info for western quality health facilities in each area.

If you buy a health insurance plan be sure it allows you to pick any provider you want - rather than have a limited selection - you would want to use only the US or western european facilities for any substantial problem.

Check with your health insurance carrier at home, as well. Most will pay for emergency care rendered outside the US borders. Blue Cross has physicians and hospitals throughout the world contracted with them. With doctor care, you usually have to pay upfront, submit a claim translated into English and converted into dollars. Ask about your emergency transportation limitations. It is extremely expensive to fly someone home when they have suffered (or are continuing to suffer) a serious medical crisis.

See the various threads here on travel insurance for additional information.

I have been on a number of river cruises in Russia. All the ships had a doctor on board. Most of the time he/she was involved with colds an coughs as well as falls. One time someone suffered a stroke/heart attack on the first day of the trip, the ship was still in Moscow. The person was taken to a local hospital. I don't know what eventually happened.

Am surprised to hear these river cruises have MDs. Have been on a couple in western europe and they definitely did not - they had to put one passenger who was ill ashore. Perhaps it is a function of concerns about local health care - or relection of income of russian MDs.

I would still take an possibly necessary meds along - and be sure to get a list of embassy-approved medical providers.

I think that the doctor is on board is a reflection of the income that they receive. I once stayed with a family in Irkutsk, the husband who was a doctor, told me that he makes more as a tour guide than he did as a senior doctor in a hospital.

There was an English speaking medical doctor on the river cruise we took in Russia. The crew/staff were all Russians as was the boat.