Health

Emergency call (for acute life-threatening medical conditions): 112
Police: 110
Medical on-call service (at night, on weekends or holidays): 116 117
Dental on-call service (at night, on weekends or holidays): 0511 311031
In principle, however, all hospitals also help in acute emergencies.

If medical help is needed outside the office hours of the family doctor, the on-call service search of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of Lower Saxony (KVN) can be used.

In Germany there are practices for general medicine and specialist practices – for example for children or for special topics such as eyes or skin, as well for dentists. There is a free choice of doctor. If you need to seek medical help, it makes sense to make an appointment in advance. In case of acute pain, you can of course also go to a doctor spontaneously. It is very good if a German-speaking person helps to make appointments, to register at the reception, to fill in forms and, if necessary, to translate when talking to the doctor.

Medication is only available in pharmacies in Germany. There are two groups of medicines: Over-the-counter medicines and prescription medicines, for which you need a prescription issued by a doctor. Many medications require a prescription, for example antibiotics. The cost of the medication is usually covered by health insurance, but there is a co-payment requirement, which means a small copay. Medicines for everyday illnesses, such as headache tablets, can be bought at the pharmacy without a prescription. However, you pay for these yourself.
If you need medication at night or on weekends, you can use the pharmacy emergency service. You can also find the schedule for the pharmacy emergency service on the door of every pharmacy.

If you are unable to work, please notify your supervisor immediately of your illness and the expected duration of the illness. By the fourth day of incapacity for work at the latest, the administration responsible for you must have received a certificate of incapacity for work (a medical certificate), which you must obtain from your doctor. Weekend days and public holidays are to be counted in this.