For a life-threatening illness or injury in Hanoi, call 115 for an ambulance. Emergency lines operate in Vietnamese, so ask hotel staff, restaurant staff, security or another Vietnamese speaker to call with you when possible. Do not wait for an insurer’s approval before requesting emergency help.
For a stable but urgent problem, contact your insurer’s assistance line and a suitable clinic or hospital before traveling there. Use a pharmacy only for a minor self-care need or to replace a familiar medicine; a pharmacist cannot rule out a serious cause of persistent, worsening or unfamiliar symptoms.
Emergency numbers to save
- 115: ambulance and medical emergency
- 114: fire and rescue
- 113: police, including an immediate threat of violence
Save the address of your accommodation in Vietnamese as well as its English name. A map pin, building entrance, floor, room number and nearby landmark can be more useful to a dispatcher than the hotel name alone.
Choose the right level of care
- Call 115 now: the person is unconscious, cannot stay awake, has severe breathing difficulty, uncontrolled bleeding, signs of stroke, a serious allergic reaction, a seizure that is not stopping, major trauma or another rapidly worsening condition.
- Seek urgent same-day assessment: the person is stable but has persistent vomiting, worsening pain, signs of dehydration, a spreading infection, a significant wound or any animal bite or scratch.
- Use a pharmacy for a routine need: the problem is minor, the person is otherwise well, and the medicine is familiar or has been recommended by a qualified clinician.
This is a way to decide where to start, not a diagnosis. Move to the emergency level if the person becomes confused, faints, struggles to breathe, cannot stay awake or deteriorates quickly.
How to call 115 in Hanoi
- Call 115 and ask for an ambulance.
- Give the exact location, your callback number, what happened, the patient’s condition and the number of people needing help.
- Add the building name, entrance, floor, room number and an identifying landmark. Send a map pin to the Vietnamese-speaking helper if that is faster.
- Ask someone to wait at the street entrance and guide the crew to the patient.
- Follow the dispatcher’s instructions and stay with the patient if the scene is safe.
If language is the immediate barrier, show a nearby person one of these short phrases:
- Gọi cấp cứu 115 giúp tôi. Please call 115 for me.
- Tôi cần xe cấp cứu. I need an ambulance.
- Địa chỉ là… The address is…
- Bệnh nhân bất tỉnh. The patient is unconscious.
- Bệnh nhân khó thở. The patient is having difficulty breathing.
If 115 cannot be reached promptly: ask your accommodation, insurer or the emergency desk of a suitable hospital to help arrange transport. Do not put an unconscious, unstable or seriously injured person on a motorbike. For a stable patient, ask a medical or insurance professional whether travel by car is appropriate.
Do not move a person with suspected head, neck, spine or major trauma unless there is an immediate danger or an emergency professional tells you to do so. Do not give food, drink or medicine to someone who is unconscious or not fully alert. Bring identification and medical information if they are within reach, but do not delay emergency care to collect luggage or paperwork.
Warning signs that should not wait
Call 115 or go to an emergency department for symptoms such as:
- severe breathing difficulty, blue or gray lips, choking or a serious allergic reaction;
- chest pressure or pain, sudden facial droop, one-sided weakness or sudden difficulty speaking;
- loss of consciousness, new severe confusion, a seizure that is not stopping, repeated seizures or failure to wake afterward;
- uncontrolled bleeding, a serious burn, major head injury or significant traffic trauma;
- suspected poisoning, overdose or a dangerous reaction to medicine;
- severe pregnancy-related bleeding or pain;
- immediate risk of self-harm; for an immediate threat of violence, call 113 as well;
- rapid deterioration, especially in a baby, older adult or person with a serious medical condition.
Heat illness, food-related illness and dehydration can begin with symptoms that appear manageable. Confusion, fainting or loss of consciousness in the heat can signal a medical emergency: call 115. Blood in vomit or stool, persistent vomiting, severe weakness or an inability to keep fluids down also need urgent clinical assessment.
Three situations travelers should act on quickly
Animal bite, scratch or saliva exposure
Wash every bite or scratch immediately with plenty of soap and running water for at least 15 minutes, then seek medical care without delay. If animal saliva reached the eyes, mouth or broken skin, rinse the exposed area thoroughly with water and seek care. Direct contact with a bat also needs assessment even when no bite mark is visible. This applies even when the wound looks minor or you had rabies vaccination before the trip. A clinician must assess the need for rabies post-exposure treatment, wound care and tetanus protection.
Do not wait for the animal to become ill and do not postpone care until you return home. Tell the clinician the species, location, time of exposure, whether the skin was broken and whether saliva reached the eyes, mouth or an existing wound.
Suspected poisoning or overdose
Call 115 for severe symptoms, reduced consciousness, breathing difficulty, seizure or deliberate overdose. Do not induce vomiting or give food, drink or a home remedy unless an emergency professional instructs you to do so. Take the container, medicine strip, label or a clear photo with you when it is safe.
Lost or damaged essential medicine
Contact the original prescriber, your insurer or a qualified Hanoi clinician. Use the generic name, strength, formulation and dose from your prescription or original label. Do not substitute by package color, tablet appearance or a familiar brand name alone.
Hanoi hospitals: choose by clinical need
The facilities below are verified starting points, not a ranking or a complete directory. For a life-threatening case, call 115 so the dispatcher can coordinate a responding team. If the patient is stable enough to travel without an ambulance, call the facility first to confirm the correct department, current entrance, language support and ability to manage the condition.
Private hospitals with English-language information
- Hanoi French Hospital: a private general hospital at 1 Phuong Mai Street. Its official site publishes 24/7 accident and emergency care and the emergency number +84 24 3574 1111.
- Vinmec Times City International Hospital: a private general hospital at 458 Minh Khai Street. Vinmec publishes 24/7 emergency and patient-transport services; its Times City contact number is +84 24 3974 3556.
An English-language website does not guarantee that every specialist, ambulance crew or shift will communicate in English. Confirm language support and insurance arrangements when you call.
Public and specialist emergency departments
- Bach Mai Hospital Emergency Center A9: a public emergency center on the first and second floors of Building A9 at the Bach Mai campus, 78 Giai Phong Street. The center publishes 086 958 7707 as its contact number.
- Bach Mai Hospital Poison Control Center: a specialist unit on the same campus for poisoning and toxic exposure. Its official contact number is 086 958 7705. Use 115 first if the patient has severe symptoms or is unstable.
- Viet Duc University Hospital: a public hospital with a major surgical and trauma role. Its site publishes 24/7 emergency contact 024 3825 3531 and identifies the emergency and day-treatment center at 16 Phu Doan Street. Confirm the receiving entrance before traveling.
If the problem involves a child, pregnancy, mental health, eyes, teeth or another specialty, ask 115, the insurer or the receiving hospital which facility is appropriate. The nearest general clinic is not always the right destination.
Travel insurance and hospital payment
Once the immediate danger is under control, call the assistance number on your insurance policy. Ask the insurer to open a case and confirm the suitable facility, any required authorization, the process for a guarantee of payment and whether medical evacuation is covered.
Direct billing is not universal. Public and private facilities may require a deposit, payment before treatment or proof of adequate insurance, and card payment may not always be available. Keep access to a backup payment method without carrying more cash than you can secure.
When the situation is not an emergency and your condition allows the discussion, ask what a quoted charge includes before agreeing to tests or procedures. Keep:
- the insurer’s case number and written authorization;
- itemized invoices and payment receipts;
- medical reports, test and imaging results;
- prescriptions and medicine receipts; and
- discharge instructions and any fit-to-fly or medical-escort advice.
How to use a Hanoi pharmacy more safely
Buy medicine from a hospital pharmacy or a licensed pharmacy with a fixed storefront, sealed products and receipts. Use the pharmacy operator’s current branch locator or ask your accommodation to call before you travel. Opening hours and stock vary by branch, so do not rely on a general claim that a chain or pharmacy is open 24 hours.
When replacing a familiar medicine, take the original container, prescription or a clear photo of the label. Ask the pharmacist to confirm the:
- active ingredient and strength;
- dosage form, such as a regular or extended-release tablet;
- dose and written instructions;
- manufacturer, batch and expiry date; and
- possible interactions with your conditions and other medicines.
Ask for the original package, patient leaflet and receipt. Avoid medicines sold through informal stalls, unverified social-media accounts or packaging with a broken seal.
Do not self-start an antibiotic, steroid, sedative or unfamiliar prescription medicine for new symptoms. Rules for narcotic, psychotropic and other controlled medicines can differ from those at home. For an urgent replacement, use a qualified clinician rather than trying several pharmacies.
What to prepare before you need care
- Save 115, your accommodation’s contact and your insurer’s assistance number offline.
- Keep the accommodation address in Vietnamese, plus its building name and a nearby landmark.
- Carry a short medical summary listing conditions, allergies, blood-thinning medicine and other regular medicines by generic name and dose.
- Keep prescription medicine in its labeled packaging and carry enough for delays.
- Store a copy of the insurance policy and passport separately from the originals.
- Keep a charged phone, mobile data and a backup payment method.
A short Vietnamese note on your phone can help communicate a severe allergy, diabetes, anticoagulant use, pregnancy or an implanted device. Keep it factual and easy for a responder to scan.
Before leaving the hospital
Confirm the diagnosis or working diagnosis, medicine instructions, warning signs and where to return if symptoms worsen. Ask whether you are fit to fly, take a long road journey, drink alcohol, spend time in high heat or resume strenuous sightseeing. A new medicine may cause drowsiness or other effects that make traffic exposure less safe.
For urgent care in Hanoi, call 115 for a life-threatening emergency, get Vietnamese-language help for the call, involve the insurer as soon as the immediate response is underway and confirm the receiving facility before self-travel. Use a pharmacy for appropriate routine needs, not as a substitute for clinical assessment.
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