What do I do in an emergency situation in Tenerife?

Traveling with children can be stressful at the best of times so if something bad happens while you are abroad it can throw parents into a mass state of panic!

Don’t worry! Travel 4 Baby are here to help with advice on what to do in an emergency situation!

What do I do if my child is sick whilst in Tenerife?

• If it is something minor that doesn’t require antibiotics, you can nip to your nearest pharmacy. They usually speak English well and can help you out. Pharmacies have a big green cross outside. Make sure you go to a Farmacia and not a Parafarmacia. A Parafarmacia is a herbal pharmacy.
• If your child needs to see a doctor you have two options. You can go to a local, private medical centre where the consultation charge will be around 60 euros. If you prefer, you can call a doctor to come to your accommodation. Hotel receptions can do this for you. The fee is normally a little higher for this, around the 100 euro mark. Doctors normally speak English.
• If your child needs to go to Hospital we have several options. You can go by taxi or an ambulance can be called by yourself or the hotel. There can sometimes be a charge for an ambulance. The emergency phone number in Tenerife is 112. They have English translators available.

You then have private hospitals such as Hospiten or Quiron. Once a child is admitted into hospital your travel insurance should take over the payments. Private hospitals always have translators available.

You can also go to NHS social hospitals in an emergency. We have Mojon Hospital in the South, however, it is small and doesn’t  have many facilities. The best social hospital is in Santa Cruz which is called Candelaria Hospital. Remember that social hospitals may not speak English.

Good to know…

• Always keep receipts for any medical costs you incur including prescriptions, taxis and medical bills. You may be able to claim everything back through your travel insurance.
• If you go to hospital, take with you passports, insurance details and credit cards.
• Consulates are always available over the phone to issue any additional advice.

Where do I go if my child has toothache?

You can find private dentists all over the island. The local Hospital, Hospiten Sur even has one.

Consultations are normally free of charge. Keep receipts for any expenses incurred for emergency dental work as you may be able to claim the costs back from your travel insurance.

Police reports in Tenerife

If you need to report a crime during your stay, for example, if you have something stolen, you can make a report over the phone in English. They may ask for your passport details and details of what happened. Have a pen handy as they will give you a reference number. You then have 48 hours to collect your police report from the local police station.

Important Emergency numbers

• 112 is the emergency number in Tenerife for an ambulance, police or fire emergency. They can normally speak in English.
• Police crime report number - 0034 902 10 21 12
• Hospiten Private Hospital - 0034 900 20 01 43
• Quiron Private Hospital - 0034 900 30 10 13
• British Consulate - 0034 928 26 25 08