Food Poisoning in Dushanbe & Learning the Medical System in Tajikistan

I think it was the Plov. Mutton Plov that I ate at the auto-bazaar in Dushanbe but it may have been an accumulation of bad food or even unclean water since entering Tajikistan. There was no sure way to know but the Plov at the bazaar was the last meal I had before everything went downhill.

I was already feeling the digestive fighting since Eskashim but it was still under control but that night after the Plov, I had massive diarrhea. It was so bad that I would wake up every hour running for the toilet and got dehydrated very fast. 

The suspected culprit - Mutton Plov

The next day I was severely weaken and food was consisted of plain bread and water. The hostel overlander people were sympathetic with each of them offering me some other kind of diarrhea medicine.

Everyone gets it in Tajikistan while traveling it seams but after the second night of continuous diarrhea with barely any food or water going into the system, I had to get help. That second day morning I threw up as well and it was time to seek help. 

The hostel helped send me to the hospital in Dushanbe which luckily a short walking distance of 500m but with my toilet bowl bound condition the short drive was very very much appreciated.

Walking down the corridor I saw a man in white coat and asked, Doctor ? Yes I am Doctor he said pointing to himself and he ushered me into the room where there was many beds lined up along the way and a big empty space in the middle. 

Doctors Room 

Using google translate I describe my symptoms and suggested a possible food poisoning. The doctor was chuckling when I mentioned diarrhea and I could guess that it was really a common problem in Tajikistan.

After a physical probe and check at my stomach region the doctor wrote some prescription and asked a guy to accompany me knowing that I had no idea what to do with the paper. I was guided outside the hospital to the nearest pharmacy where I proceeded to buy saline drips, needles, tubes, glucose drip and a medicine as prescribed on the paper.

Buying all the medicine at a local Pharmacy 

Getting Fixed up in Dushanbe General Hospital

100 Tajik som approximately USD 10 for the medication and I was brought back to the hospital and back to see the same doctor where the nurse inside would hook me up for the IV drip. 

Immediately after a few minutes of IV fluid entering my system I felt better. The constant fear of having to run for the toilet bowl went away and I for once was able to get some sleep with the IV drip in.

Two hours later I felt alive again and not running on survivor mode. The doctor gave me another prescription which he explain is medication to be taken for the next few days. I asked him where do I pay for the doctors fee and his reply was here. I could pay him directly.

How much?

You pay how much you want was the answer.

This was really a new experience for me not knowing what to do when the hospital and doctor runs on donation/gratuity instead of a fixed pricing system. I decided to give 100 Tajik som, matching the medicine cost and it was accepted by the doctor with much thanks. 

More Medicine which I have never seen before

Finally able to see Dushanbe after Recovering 

Back to the pharmacy and the medicine prescribed was antibiotics and stomach stabilizers. Next two days was spend just recovering finally being able to hold in solid food and drinking up much lost water.

Traveled on: Jul 2024