< 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? Hepatitis A and B, typhoid, polio and tetanus shots are advisable. If traveling to rural areas, a course of malaria pills and Japanese encephalitis vaccine are recommended. ↑ Top Before I get sick, what should I know about seeking medical care in your city as an expat? Expats will not be refused treatment whether or not they have insurance, however, the national health insurance does not cover expats. Therefore, it is very important to have a medical insurance plan with good inpatient and outpatient coverage. ↑ Top What is the word for "doctor" in the local language? Duktor ↑ Top What is the best way to locate a suitable health care provider? Word of mouth. ↑ 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? Basic medical care is available in Cebu and Manila, but for more complicated medical procedures and serious illness many expats travel usually to cebu or Hong Kong. Make sure you have a good medical plan that includes medical evacuations. ↑ Top What is the number to call to summon help in an emergency? List medical/fire/police. Chonghua hospital: 032 2558000 Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation: 161 Police Dept: 166 Fire Dept: 160 ↑ 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? Contact Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF): 161 ↑ Top How will I recognize a pharmacy? What is it called in the local language? All signs in Cebu are in English. Pharmacy chains in Cebu are called Mercury Drugs, Rose Pharmacy and Three Sixty Pharmacy ↑ Top Is the water safe to drink? If you have to drink tap water it is advisable to boil, filter and chemically disinfect it first. Bottled water is widely available. ↑ 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.