Medical
Before being accepted on the expedition you will be required to complete a pre-expedition, medical questionnaire.
Completion of these questionnaires is a pre-requisite for the trip and is not so much to assess your suitability for the trip, but to make sure we know how best to look after you during the trip. Information obtained from this questionnaire is for the sole use of the doctors advising Willetts Safaris on your trip to Tanzania. Your answers will be treated in strictest confidence and will only be divulged to medical colleagues should the need arise. By signing this form you us permission to consult your own GP should we need further information or clarification prior to departure.
You will need a valid Yellow Fever Certificate to enter Tanzania.
You should consult with your own GP or attend a Travel Clinic for personal advice on the vaccinations and anti-malaria prophylactics you will need for the trip. It is also worth getting a dental check-up, shortly before leaving, you don’t want to be climbing Kili with a toothache.
Most people will experience headaches, nausea and insomnia towards the end of the climb. These are normal symptoms of altitude sickness and aren’t much to worry about. Much more serious is acute mountain sickness (AMS), the chronic form of altitude sickness. Your guides are trained to recognise the symptoms of AMS and will tell you when it is not safe to carry on. Often the effects of AMS can include mental confusion that may convince the victim they are fit to continue. Ignoring the symptoms of AMS can be fatal so don't deny the signs if you start feeling them, and do what your guide advises. If somebody does have to go back down he or she will be accompanied by a member of the local team until they are met by a member of the ground support team.
Symptoms of mild to moderate acute mountain sickness
Difficulty sleeping
Dizziness or light-headedness
Fatigue
Headache
Loss of appetite
Nausea or vomiting
Rapid pulse (heart rate)
Shortness of breath with exertion
Symptoms that may occur with more severe acute mountain sickness
Blue colour to the skin (cyanosis)
Chest tightness or congestion
Confusion
Cough
Coughing up blood
Decreased consciousness or withdrawal from social interaction
Gray or pale complexion
Cannot walk in a straight line, or walk at all
Shortness of breath at rest
Insurance
There is no free medical care in Tanzania and Kenya, not even for the locals. It is a pre-requisite for the trip that you take out adequate travel insurance that includes comprehensive medical cover and emergency evacuation back to the UK. You must also make sure the cover includes trekking up to 6,000 metres. Proof of this insurance will be required before you leave for East Africa. In addition, included in your registration fee, is membership of the AMREF Flying Doctor Service. In the event of a severe medical emergency, as a member of AMREF, you will be entitled to free evacuation to a medical facility in Nairobi where healthcare tends to be more sophisticated than in Moshi.
