< Back Are there any vaccinations I should get or other health precautions to take as I prepare for my move to your city? Before I get sick, what should I know about seeking medical care in your city as an expat? What is the word for "doctor" in the local language? What is the best way to locate a suitable health care provider? Do expats in the area tend to leave the city/area/country to seek medical care? If so, why and where do they go? What is the number to call to summon help in an emergency? List medical/fire/police. What do I do if there's an emergency in the middle of the night—or at another time when my normal doctor/clinic is unavailable? How will I recognize a pharmacy? What is it called in the local language? Is the water safe to drink? Are there any vaccinations I should get or other health precautions to take as I prepare for my move to your city? Keep up with your regular vaccinations, especially for ailments such as typhoid, gamma globulin and tetanus inoculations. Consult your travel clinics at home country for specific and detailed advice. Additionally, it is advised to get the Covid Vaccine and carry your vaccination certificate. At certain airports it is mandatory to produce a negative RT-PCR test to enter in India. ↑ Top Before I get sick, what should I know about seeking medical care in your city as an expat? There is no national health insurance scheme for foreigners in India, however it is recommended that you check with the HR Department in your organization. Some of the larger hospitals have agreements with newly formed multinational health insurance companies. Health insurance is now available in India, but most expatriates choose to insure in their home country. Most large corporations pay for local insurance coverage as part of the compensation package provided to expats and their families. Many corporations have agreements with specific hospitals to receive quality medical care ↑ Top What is the word for "doctor" in the local language? The word is the same as in English: Doctor ↑ Top What is the best way to locate a suitable health care provider? Get recommendations from friends or use the hospitals and clinics recommended by your corporate HR. It is essential to identify a good hospital for emergency treatment as well. Some of the good local hospitals are Manipal Hospital, Wokhardt Hospital, Mallya Hospital and St. John’s Hospital, Colombia Asia and Apollo Sagar; others are also available. ↑ Top Do expats in the area tend to leave the city/area/country to seek medical care? If so, why and where do they go? Expats generally do not leave the city/country to seek medical care. Doing so is only necessary if the ailment is very serious in nature and requires specialized expertise that is not available in India ↑ Top What is the number to call to summon help in an emergency? List medical/fire/police. Police 100 Fire 101 Ambulance 102 Traffic/Accidents 103, 1062 Heart Brigade 1050, 1051 Electricity 1917, 2226718/19 Water 22945125 Child in Difficulty 1098 Distressed Women 1091 Senior Citizens 1090 ↑ Top What do I do if there's an emergency in the middle of the night—or at another time when my normal doctor/clinic is unavailable? Dial 102 for an ambulance that will take you to the nearest hospital. It is also handy to keep phone numbers of the nearest hospital for prompt medical attention. ↑ Top How will I recognize a pharmacy? What is it called in the local language? The pharmacy is usually called a chemist or medical store, and it can be recognized by the red cross sign. All hospitals and clinics have pharmacies adjoined or have a few shops nearby. Some are day and night chemist shops; others are open only during the daytime. Some medications are available under different names and many prescription drugs are offered over the counter. ↑ Top Is the water safe to drink? It is not advisable to drink the local water or local branded water. Stick to a few quality brands of bottled water – Kinley, Bisleri, Aquafina - for the first few weeks and then move to electronically purified water from water purifiers. Keep purified water in bathrooms for brushing teeth, etc. Even water for tea and coffee should be purified, unless you boil it well. It may be possible to get large containers of purified water delivered to your house for drinking and cooking purposes. These are called "bubble tops" in the local vernacular. ↑ Top IMPORTANT NOTE: Crown Relocations has made every effort to present accurate information. However, regulations, rates and other variables are subject to change and Crown Relocations cannot accept responsibility for the errors that might result. Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact your local Crown representative.