If you are ill enough to need hospitalization, something unusual should rise your attention. If altitude sickness is the problem, no medical treatment can do more than relieve some of the symptoms, and you will still need to evacuate to a low altitude. If you can safely be moved, it is best to do this by the next morning's flight. The later stages of edema can make evacuation impossible. It you are traveling alone and staying at one of Lhasa's smaller hotels, you risk becoming very isolated if you have to stay in hospital for some time. Seriously ill patients are sometimes left unattended for long periods by the nursing staff. Before you go into hospital, tell as many friendly fellow travelers as possible and use hotel notice boards to ask for help and visitors. You may need people to bring special foods, to take messages, to arrange your evacuation, and perhaps to lend foreign exchange certificates for an air ticket at short notice. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals can often be found amongst visitors at any of the hotels, and they may be willing to give you a diagnosis in Western terms and in your own language.

Before going into hospital, consider checking into the Holiday Inn for access to their services, including taxis, international telephone and fax services, air-ticketing and -most valuable of all- help from the foreign management staff. When you are well enough to move, the hotel can make all the arrangements for your evacuation.

Ambulances are almost non-existed; taxis can be used during working hours but are difficult to find at night, except at the Holiday Inn.