It’s 2 a.m. and you have a medical emergency. Do you know what to do?
Time is an important factor when emergency care is required, so who do you call first? Where do you go? How do you get to the hospital?
The Stuttgart Army Health Clinic on Patch Barracks is not staffed nor equipped to respond to an emergency and does not provide an ambulance service.
If you or a family member are in a true emergency situation, here’s what to do:
Call DSN 114 or 116, or civilian 0711-680-114/116
You can call the German ambulance service, but to guarantee an English speaker, call the Military Police at DSN 116 or 114. They will contact the German ambulance service and a Host Nation Patient Liaison. If your emergency is on an installation, the MPs will also meet the ambulance at the gate and escort it onto the installation.
German first responders will triage and transport a patient to the nearest emergency room that can treat their injury or condition.
Use Host Nation Patient Liaisons
Newly admitted patients can expect a visit from a patient liaison.
The patient liaisons are fluent in English and German, and their primary duty is to help facilitate a community member’s stay in a German hospital.
They serve as a conduit between the patient and the medical staff to provide the patient and his or her family with updates on the patient’s medical condition and treatment plan.
If a patient requires follow-on care or transportation to another health care facility, the patient liaisons will help in the planning process.
When a patient is ready to be discharged, the patient liaisons will explain how to obtain medications from German pharmacies.
Emergencies while traveling
A prudent traveler will find out which host nation hospitals at their destination offer emergency care. Tricare beneficiaries can contact International SOS, the company that administers the Tricare Overseas Program, at 0800-181-8505 (toll-free from Germany) or at their international line at 0044-20-8762-8133 for a list of emergency rooms in their travel area.
If medical guidance is required, travelers can call the Nurse Advice Line toll-free at 00800-4759-2330 or 0800-825-1600. A registered nurse will review your signs and symptoms to help determine the severity of the injury.
If you have an emergency and are not located near a military community, call 112, the European emergency services number. The U.S. Army Europe Crisis Action Center can also be reached 24 hours a day at DSN 377-4906/civ. 06221-39-4906.
