Both of my twins are insulin dependant diabetics. I am thinking of taking them abroad to the Dominican Republic. We will be staying in Puerto Plata. What are their local hospitals like? What would happen if they got a sick bug over there?

According to the mother of two boys with diabetes who lives in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata is a small city located in the northern part of the Dominican Republic on the Atlantic coast, about three and a half hours drive from Santo Domingo. There are hospitals in Puerto Plata. Also, in most of the hotels, there are on-call doctors. We recommend that you make sure you bring your glucagon kits, as well as medication for diarrhea and nausea. Should your children have a diabetes emergency that could not be handled in Puerto Plata, there are endocrinologists at U.C.E. Hospital in Santo Domingo.

BH

[Editor’s comment: You may wish to find out if your local endocrinologist will provide you with a phone number or e-mail address where you can reach him/her during the time you will be away. You could also ask your endocrinologist if he has any medical contacts in the Dominican Republic.

BH]