My actual health situation inspired me to write this post. I have crashed my knee during my last ski holidays and now I have to be operated. That’s why I thought that usually, nobody thinks that can hurt himself/herself or can need a medical assistance during the holiday. Of course, I wish you all a pleasant holiday in Liguria without any medical problems! But I give you some extra medical information … just in case 😉 Below a list of the most important, medical information.
Emergency number 112 (118)
As in the whole Europe, 112 is a single European Emergency Number that joins together telephone numbers of all services (emergency services, police, firefighters). It is a kind of the American 911. In Liguria 112 number is active only for 1 year so it is still possible to call an old emergency number 118. It works in the same way as 112.
First aid
In all emergency cases, the first aid is given in every, public hospital and it is free of charge. If you are an UE citizen it is good to have with you a T.E.A.M. card, the card that proves you are insured in your home country. But in any case, everybody will be given the first aid. Completely free of charge (no matter if you live in Europe, US or Japan).
Codes
Italian Emergency Rooms have 4 different codes to distinguish a gravity of emergency cases:
RED – critical, a person’s life is at serious risk
YELLOW – urgency, a person life is probably in a serious risk
GREEN – deferrable urgency, not critical
WHITE – not severe, minimal importance
It is good to know, that red, yellow and green codes are free of charge. For the white one, you have to pay a ticket (also Italians do) that is 25 €.
Hospitals
Liguria has 28 hospitals. However, only 14 of them have ER :
Province of Imperia:
- Hospital of Sanremo Via G.Borea,56
- Hospital of Imperia Via S. Agata,57
Province of Savona:
- Hospital of Savona – Via Genova, 30
- Hospital of Pietra Ligure – Viale 25 Aprile, 38
- Hospital of Cairo Montenotte – Corso Martiri della Libertà, 30
- Hospital of Albenga – Viale Martiri della Foce, Regione Bagnoli
Province of Genova:
- Hospital of San Martino in Genoa – Largo Rosanna Benzi, 10 (it is the biggest and the most important hospital in Liguria)
- Hospital Galliera in Genoa– Mura delle Cappuccine, 14
- Hospital Gaslini in Genoa – Via Gerolamo Gaslini, 5 (children’s hospital with a children’s ER)
- Hospital Evangelico Internazionale in Genoa Voltri – Piazzale Gianasso, 4
- Hospital in Lavagna – Via Don Bobbio, 25
Province of La Spezia:
- Hospital in La Spezia – Via Mario Asso, 1
- Hospital in Sarzana – Via Cisa
When you have a toothache?
- Hospital Galliera in Genoa has a Dental Emergency Room.However, it is open Monday-Friday 8.00 am – 3.00 pm.
- In Genoa, you can find also a specialized Dental Emergency Room. It is open 24h/24h, 7/7. It is a private structure so every service needs to be paid. It is located in via San Martino 6 on the ground floor. More info here (only in Italian).
On a trail
Liguria has many trails and many mountains. If you get hurt on a trail you have to call 112. You will be rescued by a mountain rescue and then transported to the nearest hospital. The mountain rescue is equipped to have helicopters and they use them if you get hurt in a place that is out of reach.The important thing is that your code when you arrive in an ER is higher than WHITE ONE. In that case, all services are free all charge (helicopter included). If it is white, you will have to pay all costs of that service (also the helicopter’s transport …).
Consular help
Remember, that if you have any problems ask for help the consulate of your country. A majority of the consulates that are responsible for Liguria’s area are in Milan (not in Rome). Check this info before you get Liguria.
I wish you calm holidays without any medical problems! And I hope you won’t need all the info of this post during your holiday;)