Seeing a doctorPractical guide · 4 min read

Best hospital in Addis Ababa: which one for your need

No official ranking exists. Heart: ICMC or Addis Cardiac. Birth: Hemen or Ethio Tebib. The right Addis Ababa hospital for each need.

Medyc medical teamSources listed at the end of the guide
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Illustration: a nurse accompanies a patient in a wheelchair in front of a hospital lined with palm trees.

The short answer

No official body ranks hospitals in Addis Ababa, so the best one is the one with the unit you need. For the heart, choose a hospital with a cath lab: ICMC, Ethio Tebib or Addis Cardiac. To give birth, one with neonatal intensive care: Hemen, Ethio Tebib or MCM. In an emergency, call 907.

Key facts

Which hospital for which need?

For a birth, compare the options in our guide to maternity hospitals. Every hospital, with all its phone numbers, is on our Addis Ababa health page.

Units as each hospital lists them. Confirm by phone before you go.
NeedHospitalAreaPhone
HeartICMC General Hospital: cath labCMC roundabout9207
HeartEthio Tebib General Hospital: cath lab, valve replacement by catheter (TAVI)Sefere Selam9000
HeartAddis Cardiac Hospital: cath lab, 24-hour emergencyBole, opposite Ethiopian Cargo9825
Giving birthHemen Maternity and Children: NICU with ventilatorsArat Kilo+251 919 48 44 05
Giving birthEthio Tebib General Hospital: NICU, fertility centreSefere Selam9000
ChildrenMCM, the “Korean hospital”: paediatric and neonatal intensive careGerji+251 11 629 54 22
ChildrenKadisco General Hospital: paediatrics, 24-hour emergencyGerji Roba+251 11 629 89 02
Child bone surgeryCURE Children’s Hospital: no emergency department, weekdays 8 am–4 pmSidist Kilo (6 Kilo)+251 11 123 77 67
Fractures, traumaALERT (public): trauma centre, orthopaedics, neurosurgeryKolfe Keranyo6880
Fractures, traumaMCM: orthopaedics, trauma, neurosurgeryGerji+251 11 629 54 22
SkinALERT: national dermatology referral centreKolfe Keranyo6880
Mental healthAmanuel Mental Specialized Hospital (public)Addis Ketema+251 11 275 76 99
Adult emergency, 24 hBethesda American Medical Plaza: JCI-accreditedOpposite Capital Hotel6737
Adult emergency, 24 hNordic Medical CentreBole, near the Rwandan Embassy8901

Which hospitals are open 24 hours?

Call 907 for the Ethiopian Red Cross ambulance: free, 24 hours a day. Tebita, a private ambulance service, answers on 8035.

Private hospitals with a 24-hour emergency department include Bethesda (6737), Ethio Tebib (9000), ICMC (9207), Addis Cardiac (9825), Nordic Medical Centre (8901), Kadisco and MCM. On the public side, ALERT runs a trauma centre.

What should you ask before you go?

Nights and weekends
Is the specialist on site, or only on call?
Equipment
A cath lab for the heart, a NICU for a birth, a scanner that runs at night after a head injury.
Deposit
How much on admission, what it covers, and which insurers the hospital accepts.
Accreditation
Bethesda American Medical Plaza is the first Ethiopian hospital accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI).

Not sure which department you need?

In Addis Ababa, Medyc arranges a video consultation or a home visit by a doctor or a nurse, and books appointments at partner hospitals and clinics. WhatsApp: +251 999 67 67 25.

Your questions, answered

What is the best private hospital in Addis Ababa?

There is no official ranking. Bethesda American Medical Plaza is the first Ethiopian hospital accredited by JCI, an international body. Otherwise, pick the hospital with the unit you need: a cath lab for the heart, a NICU for a birth.

Which is the best hospital in Addis Ababa for pregnancy?

One with an obstetrician on site at night, a caesarean theatre and a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Hemen, Ethio Tebib and MCM list a NICU. Our guide to maternity hospitals in Addis Ababa compares them.

Where is the Korean hospital in Addis Ababa?

The “Korean hospital” is MCM Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, in Gerji. It is open 24 hours: +251 11 629 54 22 or +251 929 67 55 07.

Are public hospitals in Addis Ababa an option?

Yes. Tikur Anbessa (Black Lion), near the main post office, is the country’s main university hospital: +251 11 551 12 11. St. Paul’s, in Gulele, has more than 700 beds: +251 11 275 01 25.

Where is Washington Medical Center in Addis Ababa?

In Bole, opposite the Rwandan Embassy. It is a private medical centre: +251 11 663 59 69 or +251 939 52 52 52.

Sources & further reading

  1. Ethiopian Red Cross Society: ambulance services (907)
  2. GOV.UK: English-speaking doctors and medical facilities in Ethiopia (Tebita, Amanuel, Washington Medical Centre)
  3. Capital: Bethesda American Medical Plaza becomes Ethiopia’s first JCI-accredited hospital
  4. Bethesda American Medical Plaza: departments and emergency line
  5. Ethio Tebib General Hospital: services
  6. ICMC General Hospital: departments and contacts
  7. Addis Cardiac Hospital: services and contacts
  8. Hemen Maternity and Children Health: services
  9. MCM Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (Korean Hospital)
  10. Kadisco General Hospital
  11. ALERT Comprehensive Specialized Hospital
  12. CURE Ethiopia Children’s Hospital: contact and hours
  13. Nordic Medical Centre: ambulance and emergency call centre
  14. French Embassy in Ethiopia: accidents, hospital care and deaths (in French)
  15. St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College
  16. Medyc: hospitals, ambulances and pharmacies in Addis Ababa
  17. Medyc guide: maternity hospitals in Addis Ababa

This guide explains how to organise care. It does not provide a diagnosis or individual medical advice. How we write our guides

Put it into practice

Your next step

Check the options available for your location and confirm the details with the local team.

Book at a partner hospital in Addis AbabaBook in the Medyc appWrite to us on WhatsApp
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