Friday 27 May Who'd have thought?

lush Fiji

An important part of being a cruiser is being self sufficient to the point of carrying a far better stocked medicine chest than you would ever keep at home.   There isn't a national health service in every town, or a doctor at sea so we have remedies for most eventualities.  In the tropics an innocuous scratch or insect bite can get infected and need serious antibiotics before septocemea sets in.  Most people carry broad spectrum antibiotics as standard.  While we were in Labasa on Wednesday I went into a couple of pharmacies and found they needed a prescription to sell the drugs.

Back in Savusavu we decided to chase up a friendly doctor and ask him to write a 'scipt.  The marina gave us directions to Dr Ishbaque's medical centre 5 minutes away.  It was modern building.  The receptionist was most receptive to our request to purchase drugs and had a dispensary on site.  Did we want to have a chat with the doctor?  Yes.  David and I popped in for a chat and he was very sympathetic suggesting what would be good to have and as it's all so cheap why not take plenty?   Half an hour latter we left with assorted antibiotics to treat a broad spectrum of  infections we might encounter especially infected cuts or insect bites, antibiotic eye drops, steroids to treat cigguatera (caught by eating infected large reef fish) and calamine for itchy arms.  Dr Ishbaque didn't charge us for the consulation (the practice is sponsored by an American) and the drugs cost about £18, that's 2 ½ prescription charges in UK.