Medical emergencies are health related events where an individual requires immediate medical assistance. Examples may include uncontrolled bleeding, broken bones or immobility, severe allergic reactions, or loss of consciousness. If immediate medical assistance is needed:

• Contact the local equivalent of 911 or go to the nearest clinic or hospital.
• Call Healix, Temple’s Global Assistance provider, at their toll-free 24/7 emergency assistance line +1-267-855-1884.
  • If the traveler needs medical assistance, Healix can identify the nearest recommended facilities or medical professionals. 
  • If the traveler is receiving medical assistance, provide Healix with the traveler’s name, institution (Temple University), and current contact details. If known, provide the name, address, treating medical professional, and phone number of the medical facility.
  • Healix will monitor the case closely to determine if medical care is appropriate and provide information on the adequate local medical resources.
  • Inquire if Healix can arrange for a Guarantee of Payment to be made to the medical facility for treatment. If Healix cannot directly pay the medical facility, the traveler can file a reimbursement claim for cost of treatment as covered under the international travel insurance plan.

Additional student notifications:

• Students studying abroad or traveling with a Temple program leader should notify their program/resident director as soon as possible.
• Students studying abroad on an Exchange Program or Approved External Partner program should notify their in-country program director and/or safety staff.
• If there are no on-site staff associated with the program or the individual is traveling independent of a group and needs assistance, call Temple University’s Police 24/7 at +1-215-204-1234. TUPD will notify an appropriate member of TU’s Global Health, Safety and Security team.

Serious safety emergencies include major civil unrest, sustained violence, terrorism, and natural disasters. If there is an immediate threat to one’s physical safety, or a TU traveler has been injured or otherwise directly impacted by the incident:

• Contact the local equivalent of 911.
• Once individuals are away from harm and in a secure location, contact Healix at +1-267-855-1884

For information and updates during security incidents:

• Travelers should make sure their Healix Oracle Travel App is active to receive pertinent updates, emergency messaging and respond to safety check-in prompts from TU.
• Heed any advice from Healix or local government officials to shelter-in-place, standfast or minimize movement.
• Travelers should also monitor updates from the U.S. Department of State STEP messaging service and/or check for Alerts for U.S. Citizens on their local U.S. Embassy website.
  • If a crisis prevents access to online or email alerts, the general number for U.S. Department of State American Citizens Abroad is +1-202-501-4444 or +1-888-407-4747 (U.S. or Canada).
  • Do not travel to a U.S. embassy or consulate during security incidents unless specifically instructed to by U.S. DOS.

Additional student notifications:

• Students studying abroad or traveling with a Temple program leader should notify their program/resident director as soon as possible.
• Students studying abroad on an Exchange Program or Approved External Partner program should notify their in-country program director and/or safety staff.
• If there are no on-site staff associated with the program or the patient is traveling independent of a group and needs assistance, call Temple University’s Police 24/7 at +1-215-204-1234. TUPD will notify an appropriate member of TU’s Global Health, Safety and Security team.

If a crime is actively occurring or direct physical harm is threatened:

• Contact the local equivalent of 911.

If the crime has already occurred, TU can help to:

• Advise travelers on replacing lost or stolen documents, credit cards, photo identification, etc.… (see section below on Replacing Lost or Stolen Passports).
• Connect victims with counseling resources to help manage any subsequent feelings of trauma.
• Access U.S. Department of State or local law enforcement resources to report a crime and/or file a police report (see section below on Filing Police Reports Abroad).

Please note that the international travel insurance plan is designed for health and significant travel disruption. It does not contain coverage for lost, damaged or stolen personal effects. Travelers should contact the provider of the home or renters’ insurance of their primary residence and/or consider additional personal effects insurance. In most instances, insurance carriers will require a copy of a local police report when a loss claim is filed.

Additional student notifications:

• Students studying abroad or traveling with a Temple program leader should notify their program/resident director as soon as possible.
• Students studying abroad on an Exchange Program or Approved External Partner program should notify their in-country program director and/or safety staff.
• If there are no on-site staff associated with the program or the patient is traveling independent of a group and needs assistance, call Temple University’s Police 24/7 at +1-215-204-1234. TUPD will notify an appropriate member of TU’s Global Health, Safety and Security team.

To replace a lost or stolen U.S. passport while abroad, American citizens must go to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate and apply in person. ·

• File notice (Form DS-64) with the U.S. Department of State online or at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Note that once a U.S. passport is officially declared lost or stolen, it is no longer valid if subsequently found.
• Access and complete the required forms (DS-11) for replacing a lost of stolen U.S. passport.
• Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate to schedule an appointment or confirm walk-in hours. Do not go to the U.S. embassy or consulate without verifying an appointment time or window.
• Verify the items needed at the appointment – passport photo, other photo identification (e.g. driver’s license, passport copy), a copy of a travel itinerary, the fee for payment of the new passport. Note that many embassies or consulates do not have photo equipment and are limited in their capacity to accept checks or credit cards. Verify and obtain all necessary items prior to an appointment.
• Consider filing a police report with local law enforcement if the passport was stolen (see section below on Filing Police Reports abroad).
• If needed, TU Global Health, Safety and Security can provide individuals with copies of their passport (as submitted prior to travel).

Non-U.S. citizens should contact the nearest embassy or consulate of their citizenship for information about the procedure to replace a lost or stolen passport. Most countries have web sites with contact information.

Victims of a crime abroad are encouraged to report the crime to the local police and obtain a copy of the police report. Reasons to report include:

• If an individual is injured in a felonious or aggravated assault, some benefits of the international travel insurance plan may require a copy of a police report.
• If an individual had items stolen and is seeking to file a claim with their home or renters’ insurance or an additional personal items insurance, insurance providers will often require a copy of the police report.  
• If an individual seeks legal action against a perpetrator of a crime abroad, the case will be considered in local courts that may rely on police reports.
• It is helpful for local authorities to know when and where crimes happen to foreigners so that they  can improve their efforts to detect and capture criminals. Also, such information can be used to warn future travelers about criminals’ tactics or targets.

Considerations prior to filing a report:

• In some countries, there are specialized police forces that focus on crimes against foreigners and sexual violence or misconduct.
• In some locations, however, not all incidents that are considered crimes in the U.S. are might not be considered crimes abroad.
• Also, in certain countries, travelers may not find local authorities are not very understanding or sympathetic to victims.
• In extreme circumstances, crime victims can find themselves in violation of local laws or legal religious edicts related to alcohol, drugs, interpersonal and sexual relations.
• If the report is in the local language, ask for the document to be translated prior to signing any document, and seek to obtain a translated copy.

The local U.S. embassy or consulate can often advise on appropriate local law enforcement contacts and considerations for reporting specific types of crime. In addition, TU Global Health, Safety and Security can provide consultation in conjunction with Healix and additional professional resources.

Students participating in Temple sponsored education abroad, group programs and individual study or research complete an Emergency Contacts Information release prior to traveling abroad. Unless otherwise authorized by the student, Temple cannot share student information with individuals not listed in their pre-travel forms.

Temple will primarily notify designated Emergency Contacts if a student is:

• Medically incapacitated or unable to speak for themselves.
• Perceived to be a danger to themselves or others.
• Failing to comply with legitimate directives of university officials.
• In a location directly impacted by a significant health, safety, or security incident such as civil unrest, acts of terrorism or significant natural disasters.
• Missing for more than 24 hours.

In all other instances, we expect students to maintain contact with their family unless a specific request has been made for TU Global Health, Safety and Security or other university staff to initiate contact.

Faculty and Staff traveling abroad for university affiliated research or business; TU Global Health, Safety and Security Risk Management will work with Temple's Office of Human Resources to locate an emergency contact provided in the individual’s one's employment records. Faculty and staff are advised to review and update their information in TU Portal > Staff Tools > Personal Information > Update Emergency Contacts

In certain circumstances, TU may post general health, safety and security updates to the international Advisories and Alerts page.