The quality of emergency health care in India varies greatly between private hospitals in big cities and public hospitals in rural area. Whereas private clinics are usually well-equipped, public ones suffer under horrible hygienic conditions and often lack even basic technical equipment.
There are three emergency numbers in India. You can reach these numbers free of charge from any phone in India. The operators may understand English, though this is not always the case. Emergency numbers are:
100 – police
101 – fire department
102 – ambulance
In rural areas waiting for an ambulance can easily last up to several hours. When it finally arrives you may be surprised to find that its medical equipment consists only of gauze bandages and band aids, or even nothing at all. As long as your medical condition allows it, you should take a taxi to the nearest private clinic instead of calling an ambulance.
You can also call a private hospital right away asking for help. Sometimes they have their own ambulances which will be better equipped and, more importantly, arrive in time. The staff aboard these ambulances and in the clinics themselves usually speak English. Telephone numbers of private clinics can be found on-line and you should always have them handy.