Medical
assistance in Crete
Doctors
There are many good doctors in Crete who speak one or more foreign
languages. In all the tourist areas you will find plenty of good
doctors and pharmacies that offer help in case of disease or accidents
during your holiday. The Greek work for doctor is "Giatros".
Pharmacies
The pharmacies can often help with advice in minor cases and will help
you with the name and address of a doctor if needed. The Greek word for
Pharmacy is "Farmacia".
Look for a green or red
cross and do not hesitate to ask for help if you are in trouble. The
Cretans are only happy to help you out.
Addresses for Doctors, dentists and Pharmacies
Emergency call
166
Hospitals
There are hospitals in the main cities. Emergency treatment is provided
but you might have to provide the details of your health insurance. The
hospital will normally recover their costs directly from them. This is
the place to go if you have an accident or a serious disease. The Greek
word for hospital is "Nosokomio".
Hospitals in Crete are better than their
reputation, some of them are rather old and crowded. But the medical
care, is much better than what it is reputed to be. Most of the doctors
will speak one or more foreign languages. The university hospital in
Heraklion is a teaching hospital and has an excellent reputation.
A number of smaller localities have "health centers" for less serious
problems. These are generally manned by a doctor and some nurses.
Dentists
There are also plenty of good dentists. The dentist and dental
technicians in Crete are very good and the prices are reasonable, so if
you have a problem, do not hesitate to contact one.
Payment
for health service
You will need to pay the doctor for a visit (in general it is pretty
reasonable) and arrange for a refund through your health insurance
yourself if you are entitled to it. At the hospital they will require
details of your health insurance, and will normally recover the costs
directly from your insurance.
Emergency phone
numbers
Police: 100
Tourist police: 2821073333 in Chania,
- 28310 53450 & 28310 28156 in Rethymnon.
Fire brigade: 199
Ambulance: 166
ELPA: 104
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