Patient Q&A
Patient Q&A: What should I do if a medical emergency happens in Shanghai?
Shanghai's official healthcare guide says urgent cases should call 120 for ambulance and first aid. It also notes that operators may connect a third-party translator and that, in critical cases, ambulances may take patients to the nearest suitable hospital.
If a serious medical emergency happens in Shanghai, the official guidance says to call 120 for ambulance and first-aid support. The page explains that the line is operated by the Shanghai Emergency Medical Center and that the service itself is in Chinese, although operators may connect a third-party translator.
The same source says callers should be ready to provide their name, exact location, and basic medical details. It also notes that once inside the ambulance, patients can often request a hospital, but in critical cases they may be taken to the nearest suitable hospital instead.
For travelers, the safest preparation is to keep passport details, local address information, emergency contacts, and the name of any preferred hospital easy to access before a crisis happens. This information is for navigation only; medical triage and transport decisions remain with licensed emergency teams.