Health Care
For European visitors who are taken ill or have an accident during a visit to Germany, free or reduced-cost necessary treatment is available - in most cases on production of a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). For non-EEA citizens, insurance is highly recommended.
The emergency telephone number is 112 – this should be used for requesting an ambulance (Krankenwagen). For English speakers in need of a doctor and unable to reach easily a surgery or pharmacy, call 01805 321 303 (www.calladoc.com). It costs more than an average phone call but you’ll be able to discuss your symptoms in English, and receive medical advice.
The overall standards of healthcare in Germany are, in most cases, excellent. Hospitals and surgeries are well equipped and staff are proficient. In pharmacies, over-the-counter advice is given and standard medicines are sold. In major cities, you’ll usually find at least one 24-hour pharmacy. Elsewhere, most stay open until 1830 on weekdays, opening on Saturday mornings but remaining closed on Sundays. Many pharmacists speak English.
The German obsession with spa waters has been well documented, and significant numbers of people still swear by their restorative health qualities. You should be able to sample them for yourself at any town with Bad or Baden in its title. The city of Baden-Baden in the Black Forest translates literally as ‘Baths-Baths’.
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