There’s now an easier way to find medical help overseas when you need it

Almost half of all Australians who travel overseas will report a health problem. For the majority it can be as mild as sunburn or an upset stomach, but what if it’s something more serious? If you’re travelling solo, getting sick or injured in a foreign country can be even more frightening.

Anyone who has ever tried to arrange a live consultation with a qualified medical professional in another country knows just how difficult it can be. Where do you find an English-speaking doctor, and how long will you have to wait for a consultation?

Doctorsa can make finding medical help when you’re travelling easier.Credit: Getty Images

Even in those countries where Australia has a reciprocal healthcare agreement, such as Italy, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands, locating a doctor who can see you at short notice can be challenging, but if you happen to be travelling in Europe or a few other countries, doctorsa can help.

Doctorsa is an association of English-speaking, qualified medical professionals who will diagnose your condition online and prescribe a remedy.

Go to the doctorsa website (https://doctorsa.com), click on “find a treatment”, send a request explaining your problem and a few minutes later you’ll receive a response from several doctors, including their bios, credentials and reviews.

Choose a doctor and you’ll have a video tele-health consultation in a short time.

Following diagnosis, the doctor will send an email with a prescription that you can take to a local pharmacy. They might also send you the location of the nearest pharmacy. You can message your physician with follow-up questions at no extra cost for up to seven days after the initial consultation.

There are some conditions that can’t be treated with an online consultation. If so, your doctor will refer you for further treatment and suggest the next steps you need to take – and doctorsa warns their online consultations are inappropriate for life-threatening conditions.

Doctorsa operates in Europe, Mexico, Brazil, Vietnam, Turkey and Thailand and prices start from €20 ($33), payable by credit card. The service operates 24/7, so you can arrange a consultation without leaving your hotel room, and probably with minimal disruption to your holiday plans. It isn’t covered by your travel insurance – the cost is less than the excess on any insurance policy.

On Trustpilot’s five-star rating system, Doctorsa rates 4.9, which is as good an endorsement as you could possibly find.