If you face a medical emergency in Hai Phong, call 115 for an ambulance. Call immediately for an unresponsive person, serious breathing difficulty, severe chest pain, signs of a stroke, uncontrolled bleeding, major trauma, a first or prolonged seizure, or a severe allergic reaction. For a wider accident, disaster, or incident requiring more than one emergency service, 112 is the national emergency and search-and-rescue line and can pass medical cases to 115. Do not delay an emergency call while seeking insurance approval.
If the patient is stable but needs prompt care, call a hospital before leaving and confirm the correct department. A licensed pharmacy is suitable for minor symptoms, first-aid supplies, or a medication question, but it is not a substitute for an emergency department. Plan as though emergency calls will be handled in Vietnamese; ask hotel reception, a colleague, or another Vietnamese speaker to help without delaying the call.
Important: This guide helps with planning and communication. It cannot diagnose an illness or choose treatment. Follow the emergency dispatcher and treating clinician.
Choose the right level of medical help
- Life-threatening or time-critical: call 115 and follow the dispatcher. Do not spend time comparing hospitals.
- Urgent but stable: call a hospital emergency department, describe the problem, and ask where to arrive.
- Non-emergency illness or injury: arrange an outpatient consultation and confirm the specialty and appointment time.
- Medication or basic supplies only: use a hospital pharmacy or a licensed retail pharmacy and speak with the pharmacist.
If you are unsure whether the situation is serious, describe the symptoms to 115 or an emergency department rather than relying on a hotel, driver, or pharmacy to make the medical decision.
How to call 115 in Hai Phong
Use 115 for a medical ambulance
Dial 115 without an area code from a phone in Vietnam. Use 112 for a broader emergency, accident, disaster, or search-and-rescue situation; the national 112 system is connected with the police, fire, and medical emergency lines.
Do not assume the operator speaks English. If possible, put a Vietnamese speaker beside you or use another phone for translation while keeping the emergency call connected.
Give the location before the full story
Start with the exact address and a reachable callback number. Then state what happened, the main symptom, the number of patients, and any immediate danger.
Message for a Vietnamese-speaking helper: “Please tell 115 that this is a medical emergency. We need an ambulance at [full address]. One person is [unconscious / having difficulty breathing / having chest pain / having a seizure / bleeding heavily]. The callback number is [number].”
- Give the hotel or building name, street number, ward, floor, room, and a visible landmark.
- Keep the callback phone switched on and answer unknown local numbers.
- Send someone to the entrance or roadside to guide the crew when it is safe.
- Collect the patient’s passport, current medicines, allergy details, and insurance information without delaying care.
- Follow the dispatcher’s instructions and report any change in the patient’s condition or location.
No static guide can guarantee ambulance availability or response time. If you cannot communicate, ask reception, security, or a nearby business to call 115 or 112, and contact an emergency department directly. Do not use an ordinary passenger transfer as an ambulance or move a patient with major trauma unless emergency professionals advise it.
Emergency departments and specialist options in central Hai Phong
The facilities below are not ranked. They are current contact points with published emergency services in or near the central urban area. In a life-threatening case, the dispatcher may choose a different destination based on the patient’s condition, travel time, and available care.
Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital
- Address: Bui Vien Street, An Bien Ward, Hai Phong City
- Published hotline: 0225 7309 888; from an international number, +84 225 7309 888
- Emergency service: the hospital publishes 24/7 emergency and intensive-care operation, including weekends and public holidays
Call the hotline and state that the case is urgent. The hospital publishes English patient information and an insurance procedure, but this does not guarantee an English-speaking clinician, interpreter, or direct billing for every patient or shift.
Hai Phong International General Hospital
- Address: 124 Nguyen Duc Canh Street, Le Chan Ward, Hai Phong City
- Main line: 0225 3955 888
- Published emergency line: 0225 3951 115; from an international number, +84 225 3951 115
- Emergency service: the Emergency and Critical Care Department publishes 24/7 operation
Use the full hospital name when arranging transport. The maternity and children’s hospital below publishes the same street address but is a separate facility with different phone numbers.
Viet Tiep Friendship Hospital, Campus 1
- Address: 1 Nha Thuong Street, Le Chan Ward, Hai Phong City
- Hospital hotline: 1900 23 23 61
- Published emergency department numbers: 0838 832 722 and 0225 6292 115
- Emergency department: first floor, Building G; the hospital publishes continuous 24/7 operation
This is a major public general hospital with emergency and specialist services. Do not assume English support, private-insurance direct billing, room type, or a particular specialty is immediately available; the emergency team will triage the patient.
Hai Phong International Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital
- Address: 124 Nguyen Duc Canh Street, Le Chan Ward, Hai Phong City
- Published 24/7 contact: 0225 3555 115; from an international number, +84 225 3555 115
- Obstetrics and gynecology hotline: 0859 489 189
- Pediatrics hotline: 0859 499 199
- Emergency service: the hospital publishes 24/7 emergency, labor and delivery, and inpatient operation
This specialist facility is the clearest fit in this list for pregnancy, childbirth, gynecology, or a child’s care. In a life-threatening situation, call 115 first and follow the dispatcher instead of trying to select a facility yourself.
When a pharmacy is appropriate
A pharmacy can help with minor symptoms, first-aid supplies, an over-the-counter medicine, or a question about replacing a routine medication. Go to an emergency department for serious symptoms, poisoning, a severe drug reaction, worsening breathing, altered consciousness, or a condition that needs examination or monitoring.
Prefer a hospital pharmacy or a current branch from an established pharmacy’s official locator. Branch hours and stock vary, so confirm the exact location on the day. Hai Phong health authorities publish licensing information and have recently identified many medicine businesses in the expanded municipality that did not yet hold the required eligibility certificate; a shop sign alone is not enough.
- Show the original package, prescription, or a clear record of the medicine’s generic ingredient, strength, and dose.
- Tell the pharmacist about allergies, pregnancy, chronic conditions, and other medicines you take.
- Check the active ingredient and strength rather than matching only a brand name, pill color, or package design.
- Ask for the medicine in its labeled package and keep the receipt.
- Do not expect every foreign prescription or brand to be accepted or available. Prescription-only medicine may require a valid local prescription.
Current rules allow online retail sale of non-prescription medicine, while prescription medicine is generally handled in person with a valid prescription. Do not use an informal social-media seller to replace controlled, psychiatric, sedating, or other prescription medication.
Travel insurance steps without delaying care
- Get emergency help first. Call 115 or enter the nearest suitable emergency department when the situation is time-critical.
- Contact the insurer as soon as the patient is safe. Use the 24-hour assistance number, open a case, and record the case number and adviser’s name.
- Ask specific payment questions. Confirm whether the hospital is in network, whether a guarantee of payment or preauthorization is required, what the policy excludes, and whether a deposit is still due.
- Give the hospital the policy details. Provide the insurer or assistance-company name, policy number, emergency contact, and case number. The hospital may need to send clinical information or an estimate.
- Prepare for upfront payment. Direct billing is not automatic. Even an insured patient may need to pay a deposit, deductible, excluded charges, or the full bill and claim reimbursement later.
- Coordinate any transfer or evacuation. Let the treating clinician and insurer decide whether another hospital, an escort, a medical flight, or a fit-to-fly document is needed. Do not book an ordinary flight or passenger car as a substitute for medically arranged transport.
- Collect documents before discharge. Ask for itemized invoices, payment receipts, the medical report or diagnosis, prescriptions, test and imaging reports, a discharge summary, and any fit-to-fly letter. Request English versions early if available.
Carry or securely store a photo of the patient’s passport and insurance card. Coverage, direct billing, deposits, and claim documents depend on the policy and hospital; no hospital name or “international” label guarantees acceptance.
Make a medical information card before the trip
Keep this information offline on your phone and give a copy to a travel companion:
- full name, date of birth, nationality, and passport number;
- medical conditions, previous major procedures, and pregnancy status when relevant;
- drug and food allergies, including the reaction;
- current medicines by generic ingredient, strength, dose, and schedule;
- emergency contact and treating doctor at home;
- insurer, policy number, and 24-hour assistance number;
- blood group only if it has been medically confirmed.
Add the hotel’s full Vietnamese address and reception number each time you change accommodation. A map pin alone may be hard to explain during a voice call.
Frequently asked questions
Will the 115 operator speak English?
Do not rely on it. Current foreign-government guidance says Vietnam’s emergency numbers operate in Vietnamese. Ask a Vietnamese speaker to help, but make the call immediately and give the address first.
Does “international hospital” guarantee English care?
No. Some facilities publish English information or can arrange language assistance, but availability may depend on the department, time, and staff on duty. Request an interpreter for planned care and bring translated medical details.
Which hospital should I use for a routine illness?
Call a general hospital’s outpatient service, describe the problem, and confirm the specialty, hours, language assistance, and likely payment method. A 24/7 emergency department does not mean every outpatient clinic is open overnight.
Can a pharmacy replace my regular medicine?
Possibly, but the brand, strength, or formulation may differ. Show the prescription and original package, use the generic ingredient name, and let a pharmacist or doctor check the substitute. Do not change the dose yourself.
Will travel insurance pay the hospital directly?
Only when the hospital and insurer support direct billing and the insurer approves the case. Ask for a guarantee of payment and confirm uncovered costs. Keep enough payment access for a deposit or reimbursement claim.
Save the plan before you need it
Save 115, 112, your insurer’s 24-hour number, your hotel’s Vietnamese address, and the relevant hospital contact offline. In a serious emergency, call first, communicate the location clearly, and let medical staff decide the destination and treatment. For a stable problem, confirm the department or licensed pharmacy before travelling and keep every medical and payment document.