Posts Tagged ‘first aid kit’

 

Insect stings – 21. August, 2009

A Ubin villager disturbed a hornet nest and got his hand stung. The folk cure is to apply a mixture of vinegar and brown sugar.

Hornet stung hand covered with black vinegar

Although such incidence are rare (Nparks destroys them when they are found), a kit for insect stings would be useful. One villager recommended “Po Sum On” medicated oil. She was bitten by a centipede and the oil helped.

Update: 22 Jun 2010. I find medicated oil like Tiger balm of little help in relieving itchy bites. But this oil seems to be most effective for me.

Po Sum On Medicated Oil

The small bottle of oil is protected by a metal container, preventing accidental uncapping and spills. They are available at Mustafa shopping centre.

You can try natural remedies like Aloe Vera. Nparks grow them at the Secret Garden located behind Ubin Police Post. Just cut a small slice from the fleshy leaf and rub on the skin.

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Emergencies – 31. December, 2008

For emergencies dial 999. This may not work. Simply because our telcos do not to cover Ubin fully and and you get roaming coverage from Malaysian telcos instead.

You then get a ‘free’ spam sms message from Starhub.
Starhub Welcome

Although I haven’t tried. Here are the emergency numbers provided by NPark to call.

Emergency numbers

You can call Van operators – Mr. Moh at +65-9731-7629/ +659084-8827 or Tien Song at +65-93468017 to drive you back to the jetty. Speak to them in Mandarin or slowly in English.

Here are the phone numbers in QR Code.
Emergency numbers

Its probably best to bring a whistle and avoid exploring remote areas alone by yourself.

Familiarize yourselves with the location of NParks public toilets and bring an emergency toilet roll. Once I had to dive into the quarry lake to do my business. My scout master warned not to use leaves to wipe bottoms as you may get allergic rash.

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First Aid Kit – 31. December, 2008

Here is a snapshot of my frequently used first aid kit.

First Aid Kit.

It contains cotton gauze and surgical tape to cover wounds. I found the disposable chlorhexidine wash solution very useful to clean wounds. Another plus about chlorhexidine wash is they are less painful when applied compared to water or alcohol swabs. Bought them from Guardian pharmacy.

Here is a closeup.

The little plasters are good for blisters before walking becomes nearly impossible.

Muscle cramps are common due to over-exertion. Get a tube of “Tiger Balm Muscle Rub”.

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What to wear/bring – 30. December, 2008

Ubin is a place to take your eco-holiday. Its means lots of cycling or walking over uneven terrain. Its not fashion parade so no high heels to avoid broken ankles. An orthopedic surgeon told me many cases of broken ankles were due to falls while wearing high heels.

Cyclist on 5 inch heels
cyclist on high heels

Ubin can get very hot, wear something light and avoid black colored clothing which absorb heat.

Another thing most visitors are not prepared for are mosquito and sandfly bites. We would see visitors scratching themselves and many cycling furiously to avoid being bitten. It too late by then. Most of the hits this blog get are for solution to insect bites. Do get a can of spray repellent. My favorite is “Off!” brand. It contains DEET that keep the most determined mosquitoes and the dreaded sandflies away. Costs around $7.50 to $8.00. The provision shops in Ubin sell them also.

Off Repellent
Make sure you bring along a first aid kit. Especially when in a group. Most accidents resulted in minor skin abrasions. A bottle of mineral water will help wash away the dirt. Use some cotton gauze and bandages to cover the wound.

Water is important too. Dehydration and electrolyte depletion from sweating may result in painful muscle cramps. Make sure you bring some water with you. The water at NPark public toilets are NOT POTABLE as they have not been treated.

Finally, bring some snacks along and some disposable rain coat in event of a sudden downpour.

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