Safety Tips

Facilities: Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) is a 600-bed facility.  This is Barbados’ major trauma facility.  It has a medical intensive care, surgical intensive care, neonatal intensive care, and dialysis units. A 24-hour emergency room is located here.

 

A special area of concern for visitors to Barbados is drugs. The country’s strict anti-drug policy is made apparent to visitors coming through Customs. In practice, however, tourists in Barbados can be offered marijuana or even cocaine frequently. Sellers will often roam the beaches selling aloe vera or other such innocuous goods as an excuse to begin a conversation about “ganja,” “smoke” or “bad habits.” As a result, many hotels and resorts now ban the use of aloe vera under the pretence that it “stains the towels.”

Tourists should avoid walking in residential areas, especially at night. Do visit beaches during daylight hours only. Isolated beaches should be avoided at any time of the day. The Department of State recommends avoiding beaches at Christ Church, Maycocks Beach, St. Lucy and Long Beach, as tourists have been targeted by criminals at these beaches. Traveling with other tourists and paying attention to your surroundings no matter where you are can help reduce the chance that you will be a victim of a crime. Thieves also target hotel rooms, making it especially important to keep valuable items locked in room or hotel safes. If you use taxis, ask for the fare amount before entering the taxi and count your change carefully at the end of your trip.

Care should also be taken going into the sea. Many people underestimate just how powerful the currents can be and rip tides have claimed lives over the years. Always look out for warning flags.

Dengue Fever is endemic to Latin America and the Caribbean and can occur throughout the year. There has been a marked increase in the number of reported cases of dengue across the region in 2007, including 399 confirmed cases in Barbados to date. Dengue Fever is found throughout Barbados. Do take necessary precautions.