Health FAQ for foreigners and visitors Page suggested by Mr. Michael Judd
Q. Where should I go to buy medicines out of business time ?
A. There are some pharmacies always open (24hours a day, 365 days/year): one is in front of the Duomo, near the corner of Borgo S. Lorenzo street. The other one is at the train station. Late at night you have to buzz to the intercom and show the recipie or ask for emergency medicine, i.e. for ashmatic problems in act.
Q. How can I get a English speaking doctor ?
A. We can call a english speaking private doctor which is recommended only for light diseases such as influence or stomach each.
Q. How can I call a doctor at night ?
A. During the night, from 8:00 pm to the morning after, we can call 118, the free service emergency doctor which is the one we suggest to call for small diseases only. Some of these doctors speak english, but not all of them.
In case you need, our hotel staff will be able to give a basic translation after the doctor have visited you or during the visit, at any time, if you call the front desk from your room.
118 Emergency service is free of charge. Hotel assistance of course is free of charge.
Q. What if I have a heart attack or other serious health emergency ?
A. For acute and emergency medical care italians and foreigners should go immediately to the hospital.
In case you feel sick, please call immediately the Hotel front desk and we will call the appropriate doctor or emergency line. In case you have acute sickness or serious sickness please ask immediately for ambulance or taxi to the nearest hospital. For heart attacks ambulance is best recommendation. Taxi will be fine for other kind of sickness where you feel there is no immediate risk for your safety but you need anyway a quick way to get a highly professional health check.
Hospitals are free of charge, in Italy, also for foreigners. Hospitals in Italy, years ago, were pretty badly runned. Today you will not see many frills, nice lights or extremely welcoming staff, but the service usually is very good and doctors are usually highly professional and very well prepared.
To go to the hospital we should call an ambulance with doctor, which is a free service for both italians and foreigners. Again, dial 118 for calling the ambulance, but it will be better to let it call from an italian person in order to give full details of the sickness. They arrive pretty quickly and are very professional people. This is a free service born in 1333. Their office is still in the original place: in front of Giotto's belltower near the Duomo, where you see day and night their ready ambulances. You may wish to give donations to the organization, but the service anyway is covered by the italian taxes and the volounteers which operates the service.
If you are having heart attack probably you will receive one of the special ambulances with heart attack first aid electronic machines.
Q. What happens when I arrive at the Hospital ?
A. At the Hospital there is a emergency check in called PRONTO SOCCORSO.
As this service help from blessing knees to very dangerous sickness, if you are having a acute dangerous sickness you should immediately declare it in order to go ahead of other patients who can wait a little bit.
From the PRONTO SOCCORSO they will check your health and fix your sickness right there or send you to the appropriate section of the hospital.
First aid services in Italian Hospitals are free of charge. In case surgery
and hospitalization will be needed, charges may be applied. We suggest you to
check your insurance.
Following are the address and telephone numbers of Hospitals in Florence.
Policlinico di Careggi
Viale Morgagni 85, Tel. 055 4277111
Arcispedale di S. Maria Nuova
Piazza S. Maria Nuova, Tel. 055 27581
Centro Traumatologico Ortopedico
Lg.P.Palagi 1,
Tel. 055-413645
055-415441
055-416781
http://www.florenceitaly.net
This Web site has been created by David Abolaffio.
The author is not responsable for mistakes, wrong information or damages related
to the information included in this page.