Key Takeaways
- In mainland China, call 120 for an ambulance when an illness or injury may be life-threatening. Do not wait for a preferred hospital or an overseas doctor to call back.[1][2]
- Tell the dispatcher where you are, what happened, whether the patient is conscious and breathing, and which number they can call back.
- A passport, medication list and insurance details are useful, but looking for paperwork should never delay an emergency call.
- Ask a Chinese-speaking companion, hotel employee or local coordinator to help with directions and registration if language is a barrier.
- Once the immediate danger has passed, collect the clinical summary, test results, prescriptions, itemized bills and receipts before leaving the hospital.
Content
If someone collapses in a hotel lobby, develops crushing chest pain in a taxi, or becomes confused after a procedure, the first decision is not which hospital has the strongest international department. It is how to get urgent local care without losing time.
China’s National Health Commission describes prehospital emergency care as care delivered before arrival at a medical facility, including treatment at the scene, monitored transport and treatment during transport. The national medical emergency number is 120.[1][2]
Call 120 or Go to the Emergency Department?
Call 120 when the patient may need treatment on the way to hospital, cannot be moved safely, or could deteriorate during a private-car journey. Examples include severe breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness, uncontrolled bleeding, a seizure, suspected stroke, a serious allergic reaction, major trauma, or persistent chest pain. These are examples, not a checklist for self-diagnosis; MedlinePlus advises using the local emergency number when a condition is life-threatening or paramedic skills and equipment may be needed.[3]
For a problem that is urgent but clearly stable—for example, a wound that may need stitches while the person is alert and breathing normally—a nearby hospital emergency department may be appropriate. If you are unsure, call 120 and describe the situation. A remote coordinator can help later, but should not be the gatekeeper for emergency care.
What to Say on the Call
The dispatcher needs a usable location more than a long medical history. Speak slowly and give:
- The city, district, street address and building or hotel name.
- A landmark, entrance or floor that will help the crew find the patient.
- What happened and when it started.
- Whether the patient is conscious and breathing normally.
- The patient’s approximate age and any immediate hazard, such as traffic or fire.
- A callback number and the name of a person who will meet the ambulance.
If you do not speak Chinese, ask a hotel receptionist, driver, colleague or nearby bilingual person to make or join the call. Keep the phone available; the dispatcher may need clarification. Do not hang up until told to do so.
While Help Is on the Way
Follow the dispatcher’s instructions. If the patient is unresponsive and not breathing normally, begin CPR and use an automated external defibrillator if one is available and you know how, or if the dispatcher guides you. Do not give food, drink or oral medicine to an unconscious or confused person. After a fall, collision or suspected neck injury, avoid unnecessary movement unless the location itself is dangerous.
Send someone to the entrance to meet the crew. If it can be done without delaying care, gather the patient’s passport, a short medication and allergy list, recent treatment details, insurance card and a phone charger. For a patient who recently had surgery, chemotherapy or another procedure, bring the discharge instructions and the treating team’s contact details.
At the Hospital: Keep the Handover Short
Start with what changed today. A useful one-minute handover covers the main condition, important recent treatment, current medicines, allergies, anticoagulants, implanted devices and the time the new symptom began. Show original medicine packaging or a reliable medication list instead of guessing drug names.
Registration, interpretation and payment questions can be handled after the clinical team has the essential information. CDC guidance notes that overseas insurance coverage varies widely and that travelers may be asked to pay at the point of care and seek reimbursement later.[4][5] If a companion is present, one person can stay with the patient while the other contacts the insurer, the treating hospital or the patient’s family.
If the Patient Came to China for Treatment
Call 120 first for an apparent emergency. After help is on the way, contact the Chinese treating team and share the name of the receiving hospital. The treating team may be able to provide procedure details, recent laboratory results or advice to the emergency clinicians, but an international-patient coordinator should not decide whether the patient is “sick enough” for emergency care.
For postoperative patients, take the discharge summary and record the date and type of procedure. For patients receiving cancer therapy, bring the latest treatment date, drug names if known, venous access device information and recent blood counts if readily available. Do not delay transport while searching through a large cloud folder.
Before Leaving the Hospital
Once the patient is stable, ask what diagnosis is confirmed, what remains uncertain and which symptoms require an immediate return. Obtain copies of the emergency note or discharge summary, laboratory and imaging reports, prescriptions, medication changes, restrictions, itemized charges and receipts. Ask whether the patient is safe to continue the planned journey or fly; the answer may need reassessment if symptoms change.
If transfer or medical evacuation is being considered, contact the insurer early. Medical evacuation is a clinical and logistical operation, not simply a flight change, and policy terms differ.[5]
A Five-Minute Emergency Card to Prepare Before Travel
Keep a paper copy and a phone copy containing:
- Name, date of birth and passport number
- Emergency contact and local accommodation address
- Diagnoses that would change emergency care
- Medicines, doses and serious allergies
- Recent procedures or treatment dates
- Treating clinician or hospital contact
- Insurance and assistance-line details
- The number 120 with a note that it is the medical emergency line in mainland China
Do not place a full medical record on an unlocked phone. The card should help a clinician act quickly, not expose every detail of the patient’s history.
Medical disclaimer: This article provides general educational information and cannot determine whether a particular symptom is an emergency. If a person has severe, sudden or rapidly worsening symptoms, call 120 in mainland China or seek immediate local emergency care. Follow instructions from the emergency dispatcher and treating clinicians.
Related Hospitals
In an emergency, the appropriate destination depends on the patient’s condition, location and the emergency service’s assessment. A preselected international hospital should not delay calling 120.
Related Treatments
No treatment is recommended in this article. Emergency clinicians must assess the patient before treatment decisions are made.
Related Guides
- Fever Before or After Treatment: When to Contact a Clinician
- Chest Pain While Traveling: Why Immediate Local Care Matters
- Recognizing Possible Stroke Symptoms During Medical Travel
- Postoperative Warning Signs That Need Urgent Assessment
FAQ
Can I ask the ambulance to take me to a particular hospital?
You can tell the dispatcher about recent treatment and a preferred hospital, but the crew must consider urgency, distance and the care the patient needs. Do not refuse timely emergency transport solely to reach a preselected facility.
What if I cannot explain the problem in Chinese?
Give the location first. Ask a hotel employee, colleague, driver or bilingual bystander to join the call. Keep a short bilingual emergency card on the patient’s phone and in their wallet.
Should I call my insurer before calling 120?
No. Call for emergency help first. Once help is on the way and another person is available, contact the insurer’s assistance line to discuss payment, network rules or a possible transfer.
What documents matter most at the emergency department?
A short medication and allergy list, recent procedure details and a concise medical summary are usually more useful in the first minutes than a large unsorted record archive. Bring a passport and insurance details if they are immediately accessible.
What should I collect for follow-up or an insurance claim?
Ask for the clinical summary, test and imaging reports, prescriptions, itemized bills, proof of payment and the hospital’s contact details. Keep the originals and make secure copies.
Sources
- National Health Commission of China: Measures for the Administration of Prehospital Emergency Medical Care
- National Health Commission of China: Chinese Citizens’ Health Literacy—Basic Knowledge and Skills (2024 Edition)
- MedlinePlus: Recognizing Medical Emergencies
- CDC Yellow Book: What to Do When Sick Abroad
- CDC Yellow Book: Travel Insurance, Travel Health Insurance, and Medical Evacuation Insurance
Hero Image Prompt
Use case: photorealistic-natural. Asset type: 16:9 website hero. A calm but time-sensitive emergency response in a modern Chinese hotel lobby: an international traveler seated and unwell, a companion speaking on a phone, a hotel employee guiding two paramedics carrying a closed medical kit toward them. Documentary editorial photography, natural daylight, believable body language, diverse adults, wide composition with clear negative space. No visible logos, flags, readable text, patient records, needles, blood, resuscitation, dramatic distress or staged smiles.