What should you know about healthcare and emergencies in Almaty?
Emergency number
112
Police: 102. Ambulance: 103.
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: internationalsos.com, amcenters.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- Save 112 (universal) plus 101 (fire), 102 (police), and 103 (ambulance) directly in your phone before you need them — a local SIM card makes these calls more reliable than relying on roaming.
- Dispatchers mainly speak Kazakh and Russian, so having a translation app or a Russian phrase ready ('need help', your address) can speed up response.
- For non-critical injuries, some travelers report it's faster to take a taxi or ride-hailing car (Yandex is the dominant app locally, as Uber does not operate in Almaty) straight to a hospital rather than waiting for an ambulance.
- Almaty sits in an earthquake-prone zone and near mountain terrain prone to mudslides/avalanches; the Ministry of Emergency Situations sends SMS warnings — if you get one, avoid heading into the mountains that day.
- Making a false or prank emergency call is a punishable offense in Kazakhstan, not just frowned upon — treat these numbers as for genuine emergencies only.
- Emergency ambulance and emergency-room care in Kazakhstan is legally free of charge for everyone — citizens, foreigners, and undocumented people alike — call 103; if a facility tries to charge you for genuine emergency care, that is against the law.
- Public trauma hospitals like the Almaty Emergency Hospital (BSNP) and City Clinical Hospital No. 4 handle the real trauma surgery and mass-casualty response, but expect language barriers (mostly Russian/Kazakh) and a public-hospital experience that can involve long waits and brusque communication.
- For English-speaking triage, home/hotel visits, or help figuring out where to go, private clinics like International SOS or AMC are a useful first call — but for serious trauma they will typically stabilize and refer you to (or coordinate transfer with) one of the public trauma hospitals or arrange medical evacuation.
- Kazakhstan does not use a formal 'Level I/II/III trauma center' rating system like the US — treat the Almaty Emergency Hospital (BSNP) as the city's de facto primary trauma referral point.
- Comprehensive international health/evacuation insurance is strongly advised — costly complications, ICU stays, or a medevac abroad for major trauma can run into very large sums without it.
Emergency Numbers
- Language Note
- Dispatchers typically operate in Kazakh and Russian; English support is limited, so having a Russian-speaking contact or translation app ready is useful.
- False Call Penalty Note
- Kazakhstan legally penalizes false emergency calls, including fines under the Code of Administrative Offences for hoax calls to 112.
Fire
- Number
- 101
- Description
- Firefighting service.
Police
- Number
- 102
- Description
- Police.
Ambulance
- Number
- 103
- Description
- Ambulance / emergency medical assistance.
Gas Emergency
- Number
- 104
- Description
- Gas emergency service (gas leaks).
US Citizen Specific
- Step Program
- US citizens can enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts and make it easier for the embassy to locate them in an emergency.
- Consulate Almaty
- US Consulate General Almaty: Zholdasbekov Street 97, Samal-2, Almaty; +7 (727) 250-49-01; after-hours emergency line +7 727-250-76-12.
Official Safety Apps
ЧС Алматы (Almaty Emergency Assistance / "Emergency Almaty")
- Platform
- Android (Google Play)
- Description
- City-affiliated app offering a map of nearest aid points/medical facilities/safe zones, real-time hazard alerts (earthquakes, floods, etc.), incident/hazard reporting, and basic first-aid instructions.
- Publisher Note
- Listed on Google Play as an official Almaty emergency-preparedness app.
Anti Terrorist Hotline
- Number
- 110
- Description
- Anti-terrorist hotline, as listed by a local Almaty university's official safety page.
Universal Emergency Number
- Number
- 112
- Description
- Universal emergency/rescue service number, available 24/7 free of charge from any phone (mobile, landline, or public payphone); connects to the appropriate service (police, fire, ambulance, gas emergency).
Hospitals
Public
- Name
- Almaty Emergency Hospital (City Clinical Hospital of Emergency Medical Service / BSNP)
- Hours
- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Address
- 96 Kazybek bi St (corner of Amangeldy St), Almalinsky District, Almaty — near Almaly metro station
- Trauma Capability
- Kazakhstan does not use the US-style Level I–IV trauma center designation, but this is the city's primary dedicated emergency/trauma hospital. It has surgery, neurosurgery, traumatology, urology and gynecology departments, a 12-bed ICU, and is the only facility in Almaty with a round-the-clock toxicology unit for poisoning cases.
- Notes
- 355-bed public hospital, opened in its current building in 2011; also functions as a teaching hospital affiliated with KazNMU.
Central City Clinical Hospital (ЦГКБ) — Combined Trauma Department
- Type
- Public
- Hours
- Trauma point (травмпункт) operates for emergency intake; general hospital departments typically weekdays with 24/7 emergency admissions
- Address
- 6 Zhandosova St, Almaty
- Trauma Capability
- Dedicated traumatology department established 1996, providing both planned and emergency trauma/orthopedic care (fractures, dislocations, spine and pelvic fractures, etc.).
- Notes
- One of the city's established orthopedic-trauma referral departments.
City Clinical Hospital No. 4 (ГКБ №4) — Trauma Point
- Type
- Public
- Hours
- 24/7 trauma point (травматологический пункт)
- Address
- 220 Papanin St, Almaty
- Trauma Capability
- Functions as one of the base institutions in Almaty's citywide disaster-medicine ('medicine of catastrophes') network. Patients are triaged on arrival (red/yellow/green) and treated for fractures, dislocations, burns, animal/tick bites, electrical burns, and cold-exposure injuries.
- Notes
- Handles mass-casualty response support for the city in addition to routine trauma intake.
International SOS Clinic Almaty
- Type
- Private / international
- Hours
- 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- Address
- Almaty city center (business district) — exact street address available via International SOS on request/booking
- Trauma Capability
- Not a full trauma surgery hospital, but operates its own emergency room, ambulances, on-site lab and X-ray, and coordinates emergency evacuation/onward referral to major hospitals or abroad. English-speaking staff.
- Notes
- Geared toward expatriates and corporate clients; typically used as a first point of contact before referral to a public trauma hospital for major trauma/surgery.
AMC Almaty (American Medical Centers)
- Type
- Private / international
- Hours
- 24/7 emergency medical care and on-call home/hotel visits
- Address
- Almaty (central business area) — address via AMC booking
- Trauma Capability
- Urgent-care style facility with English-speaking, US/EU-trained physicians; direct-bills many international insurers. Coordinates inpatient care and imaging with partner hospitals rather than performing major trauma surgery itself.
- Notes
- Useful as an English-language triage point for nomads unsure whether to go to urgent care or a full ER.
Healthcare
- Language Support
- International clinics in central Almaty provide English-language medical services. Public hospitals typically operate in Russian and Kazakh.
- Quality And Access
- Almaty has a mixed healthcare landscape combining public government facilities with private clinics. Several modern private clinics operate in the city, including International SOS (with English-speaking staff, modern diagnostics, emergency services), American Medical Centers (AMC, offering 24/7 family medicine and specialty care), and established public hospitals including the Republican Scientific and Practical Center of Emergency Medical Aid (1,000+ beds) and Almaty Regional Clinical Hospital. Specialized centers exist for cardiology, ophthalmology, dermatology, and pediatrics.
- Insurance And Costs
- Kazakhstan operates a social health insurance system. Self-paying individuals contribute a flat fee of 5,950 tenge (~€12 per month, roughly USD 13) to access government-guaranteed health coverage. Private clinics operate independently and vary in pricing.
- Specialist Availability
- Cardiology, orthopedic surgery, ophthalmology, pediatrics, and emergency trauma care are well-represented in the city.
Pharmacies
- Pricing
- A government price-regulation system was introduced in 2019 to standardize medication costs across Kazakhstan pharmacies. Prices are published online. Bonuses and discount programs (e.g., up to 70% reduction via loyalty schemes) are available through pharmacy apps.
- Language
- Pharmacists in central Almaty often speak Russian and Kazakh; English is less common but present in some chains.
- Product Range
- Pharmacies stock over 20,000 products including prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, supplements, cosmetics, and mother/baby products. Prescription drugs are behind-counter and dispensed by qualified pharmacists.
- Service Hours
- Many central-city pharmacies offer extended hours or 24/7 delivery. Walk-in availability varies by location; some smaller branches have limited staff.
- Availability And Coverage
- Pharmacy access is robust. Multiple chains operate extensively throughout Almaty, including Dobraya Pharmacy (established 1995, multiple branches with 24/7 online ordering), Rauza-Ade/Amazon, Zerde-Farma, Gippokrat MFK, and Europharma. Online pharmacy platforms (Aurma.kz, Europharma) offer home delivery throughout the city.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this emergencies research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Almaty
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.