Which numbers should you save?
Save them in your phone, in your parents’ phones and in the phone of whoever looks after your children.
| Number | What for |
|---|---|
| 119 | Medical emergency: SMUR and ambulance, free, 24/7 |
| 18 | Fire brigade: fire, accident, someone trapped |
| 17 | Police |
| +253 21 35 09 62 | Peltier General Hospital emergency department |
| +253 21 33 18 60 | CNSS emergency department (Specialised Care Centre), 24/7 |
| +253 21 33 18 73 | Arta Regional Hospital (CNSS) emergency department, 24/7 |
| +253 21 34 55 13 | Clinique Le Héron: emergency care and private ambulance, 24/7 |
What do you say when you call 119?
Start with the location: neighbourhood, street or a well-known landmark (school, mosque, roundabout), floor, colour of the gate. If the call drops, the team already knows where to go.
Then say what is happening, the person’s age and since when. Answer the questions, follow the instructions and let the operator hang up first.
Ambulance or car?
Call 119 if the person cannot be moved safely or could get worse on the way: the SMUR team starts treatment on the spot. If in doubt, call and let the operator decide what to send.
While you wait, send someone to the landmark to guide the ambulance in. Registered with a private clinic? Save its ambulance number as well.
Which emergency department for whom?
- Adults, accidents, sudden illness
- Peltier General Hospital, Plateau du Serpent, 24/7.
- Children
- The paediatric emergency unit at Peltier General Hospital.
- Pregnant women
- Dar El Hanan Hospital, Boulaos, with an obstetric emergency unit.
- Balbala
- Cheiko Hospital (Route nationale 1) or Al Rahma Hospital (Hodan), emergency care 24/7.
- CNSS members
- Specialised Care Centre, Centre de soins 1, boulevard de Gaulle, 24/7.
What do an ambulance and the ER cost?
Never delay a 119 call over money. Private clinics must display their fees at reception.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Calling 119 | Free |
| SMUR call-out | 10,000 DJF (2017 public fee) |
| Public emergency department visit | 6,000 DJF flat fee (2017 public fee) |
| With an AMU or PASS card | Covered at public health facilities |
What should you take with you?
ID, CNSS card (AMU or PASS), medicine boxes or a list, recent prescriptions, a phone charger. For a child, their health booklet. Before you leave, ask for the discharge report, the prescriptions and the follow-up date.
What happens after the emergency?
Medyc is not an emergency service. For the follow-up in Djibouti City, Medyc arranges a doctor or nurse visit at home (from 5,000 DJF), a video consultation (from 3,000 DJF) and delivery of prescribed medicines.
Your questions, answered
What is the ambulance number in Djibouti?
119. It reaches the SMUR, the mobile emergency service of the CHU de Djibouti, the equivalent of the French SAMU. The call is free, 24/7.
Does 119 work outside Djibouti City?
Yes: the CHU says it covers the whole country. In the Arta region, the CNSS regional hospital also runs a 24-hour emergency department.
Where do I take a sick child at night in Djibouti?
To the paediatric emergency unit at Peltier General Hospital or, in Balbala, to Cheiko Hospital, open 24/7. If the child is seriously unwell, call 119.
Are there private ambulances in Djibouti?
Yes: private hospitals and polyclinics must run an ambulance service. Clinique Le Héron lists one 24/7 on +253 21 34 55 13.
Can I call Medyc in an emergency?
No, call 119. Medyc arranges the care that follows: a doctor or nurse at home, a video consultation, medicines delivered.
Sources & further reading
- CHU de Djibouti: contact and the 119 (SMUR) number
- CHU de Djibouti: Peltier General Hospital
- CHU de Djibouti: the CHU hospitals (Cheiko, Dar El Hanan)
- CHU de Djibouti (official Facebook): Peltier paediatric emergency unit
- France Diplomatie: Djibouti useful contacts (17, 18)
- GOV.UK: Djibouti travel advice, getting help
- U.S. Embassy Djibouti: Medical Assistance (Peltier emergency line)
- CNSS: Specialised Care Centre, 24-hour emergency department
- CNSS: Arta Regional Hospital
- Al Rahma Hospital: official website
- Clinique Le Héron: 24-hour emergency care and ambulance
- Official Journal: Decree 2017-114/PR/MS, Ministry of Health fees (SMUR, emergency, AMU/PASS)
- Official Journal: Decree 2024-219/PR/MS, private health facilities (ambulance, displayed fees)
- Medyc: hospitals in Djibouti, addresses and numbers
This guide explains how to organise care. It does not provide a diagnosis or individual medical advice. How we write our guides
