AT-A-GLANCE
DIAL 131 TO CALL AN AMBULANCE IN CHILE
Ambulance services are provided by the national emergency system, known as “SAMU”. However, response times are not guaranteed and can vary greatly depending on your location so having other private ambulance provider numbers on-hand, or arranging private transport, is also common.
HOW CAN I CALL AN AMBULANCE IN THE CHILE?
DIAL 131 TO CALL AN AMBULANCE IN CHILE
Yes, 131 is accessible across the country and can be reached via fixed landline or mobile phones. Calls are received at a centralized call center and then dispatched to the nearest ambulance station.
- Dial 132 for the Chilean Fire Department (Bomberos de Chile)
- Dial 133 for the Carabineros (Chilean national police)
- Dial 134 for the Investigations Police of Chile (PDI – Policía de Investigaciones)
Yes, prehospital providers in Chile are trained. There are both regional public and private training institutes.
- Viña del Mar (first public SAMU training academy)
- Arucanía
- Colegio Paramédico (private)
Patients will be transported to the nearest hospital, whether public or private. If a patient requests transport to a private clinic, SAMU will comply with the request so long as the central dispatch base has approved it, has Isapre insurance, private insurance, or the means to pay out-of-pocket.
ADDITIONAL INFO
Common Emergencies in Chile
- Earthquakes
- Tsunamis
Vaccinations for Chile
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), different groups of travelers will require different vaccinations for travel in Chile:
- All Travelers:
- Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
- Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine
- Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
- Polio vaccine
- Your yearly flu shot
- Most Travelers:
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Some Travelers:
- Hepatitis B
- Rabies
Read more about travel in Chile at the CDC website: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/chile/ (Last accessed: Aug. 7, 2017)
- National SAMU Statistics
- Response times (2015)
- DevelopingEM Conference – Monday, September 14, 2015. Havana, Cuba. Oral Presentation: “Trauma in Chile: Moving Towards Regionalized Trauma Care” Dr. Rolando Gabriel Valenzuela.”
SCOREBOARD
ROAD TRAFFIC INJURY DEATHS
(PER 100,000 POPULATION)
[Source: 2015 Global Status Report on Road Safety, WHO]
REPORTED HOMICIDES
(PER 100,000 POPULATION)
[Source: 2014 Global Status Report on Violence Prevention, WHO-UNDP]
