The World Wide Will

Introducing our First Course: MedjetAssist Plus – Letter from the President

As you sit down at the MedjetAssist dinner table your entree is going to be the evacuation/repatriation portion of our program. As a Medjet member, the meat and potatoes of what you are looking for is the ability to be evacuated and ultimately repatriated to home in the event of accident or illness and [...]

So Much Information, So Little Time

By John Gobbels, Medjet VP/COO With all the information at our fingertips it’s hard to find qualified places to obtain travel and safety information before and during a trip. It seems that everyone has hundreds of bookmarks to their favorite sites and I feel their pain. One site that continues to grow in size and usefulness in [...]

Stop the Car

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 40 million injuries were received in 1998 by people involved in automobile accidents worldwide. Many of these people are travelers who are hundreds of miles from the best healthcare. Those travelers who are Medjet members will have a team of experts to help them through the chaos [...]

India – Security Issues Travel Alert

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to ongoing security concerns in India. The U.S. government continues to receive information that terrorist groups may be planning attacks in India. Terrorists and their sympathizers have demonstrated their willingness and capability to attack targets where U.S. citizens or Westerners are known to congregate or visit. This replaces the Travel Alert dated December 29, 2009, and expires on April 30, 2010.

The November 2008 attacks in Mumbai provide a vivid reminder that hotels, markets, and other public places are especially attractive targets for terrorist groups. U.S. citizens are urged always to practice good security, maintain a heightened situational awareness and a low profile. U.S. citizens are advised to monitor local news reports and consider the level of security present when visiting public places, including religious sites, or choosing hotels, restaurants, entertainment and recreation venues.

U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration website so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. For additional information, please refer to "A Safe Trip Abroad."

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Americans are also encouraged to read the Country Specific Information for India, available on the Embassy's website and on the Department’s website.

U.S. citizens with questions or concerns may contact the American Citizens Services Unit of the Embassy or the Consulates General for further information:

-- The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi is located at Shanti Path, Chanakya Puri 110021; telephone +91-11- 2419-8000; fax +91-11-2419-8407. For after-hours emergencies, call 91-11-2419-8000.

-- The U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai (Bombay) is located at Lincoln House, 78 Bhulabhai Desai Road, 400026, telephone +91-22-2363-3611; fax +91-22-2363- 0350. For after-hours emergencies, call 91-22-2363-3611, ext. 0.

-- The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai (Madras) is at 220 Anna Salai, Gemini Circle, 600006, telephone +91-44-2857-4000; fax +91-44-2811-2027. For after-hours emergencies, call 91-44-2857-4000, 91-44-2811-2000, or 91-44-2811-2021.

-- The U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata (Calcutta) is at 5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, 700071; telephone +91- 33-3984-2400; fax +91-33-2282-2335. For after-hour emergencies, call 91-99030-42956 (cell) or 91-33-3984-2400, ext. 0.

-- The U.S. Consulate General in Hyderabad is at Paigah Palace, 1-8-323, Chiran Fort Lane, Begumpet, Secunderabad 500 003; telephone: +91 (40) 4033-8300. For after-hours emergencies, call 91-90-0060-4234.

Peru Travel Alert

Heavy rains have caused landslides throughout Peru’s Sacred Valley, blocking overland and train routes into and out of the major tourist destinations of Cuzco and Macchu Picchu. The government of Peru has declared a state of emergency in the affected region. The U.S. Embassy is actively engaged in a joint Peruvian-led effort to help evacuate stranded U.S. citizens and others in Aguas Calientes, at the base of Machu Picchu. U.S. citizens intending to travel to the Sacred Valley of Peru should postpone their plans for at least the next several days.

The Peruvian government and the Embassy are sending helicopters to the city of Aguas Calientes to assist in removing people stranded by the weather. Delays resulting from the rains, high altitude and fuel shortages have hampered air operations. The Embassy sent teams to Aguas Calientes, where many tourists are stranded; to the town of Urubamba, where tourists who are being evacuated from the area of Machu Picchu are arriving; and to Cuzco, to assist American citizens who are stranded there. The road from Urubamba to Cuzco is open and transportation is being provided to the evacuees. U.S. citizens in Cuzco may wish to contact the U.S. Consular Agency located at Avenida Pardo #845, in Cuzco.For inquiries about U.S. citizens in the affected region, please call 1-888-407-4747 or email PeruCuzco@state.gov.