Chișinău Emergency Numbers: Police, Ambulance (2026)

What should you know about healthcare and emergencies in Chișinău?

Emergency number

112

Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: pacificprime.com, movingtomoldova.org

Good to know

Good to Know

Dial 112 for any emergency in Chisinau and across Moldova — it covers police, fire, and ambulance, and the operator routes your call to the right service, so you don't need to know separate numbers.
Older direct numbers (901 for fire, 902 for police, 903 for ambulance) are historical and were phased out in 2018 — stick to 112.
The 112MD app is the official government emergency app and can be genuinely useful for a nomad without strong Romanian/Russian, since it offers a chat option and auto-shares your location with operators, reducing reliance on spoken language during a crisis.
If you're a U.S. citizen and need consular (not emergency-service) help, the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau has a separate after-hours emergency contact line — this is different from calling 112.
For any life-threatening emergency in Chișinău, dial 112 (the single national emergency number covering ambulance, police, and fire) — an ambulance crew is required to arrive within 10 minutes under current rules.
Moldova has no hospital formally designated as a Level I trauma center; in practice, the Institute of Emergency Medicine on Str. Toma Ciorbă functions as the country's main emergency/trauma hospital.
Private hospitals such as Medpark generally expect cash (or proof of insurance) payment at the time of treatment — bring ID and payment method.
If you're bitten by an animal and worried about rabies, Moldovan guidance points to Polyclinic No. 1 on 31 August Street for post-exposure care rather than a general ER.

Emergency Numbers

Official Safety App

Name: 112MD ("your emergency button")
Features: Users can call 112 with a single button while their location is automatically transmitted to operators; it also supports chat-based contact when a voice call isn't possible, sharing a medical profile (allergies, chronic conditions) with responders, sharing location with contacts, receiving national warnings/health alerts, and locating nearby AEDs, police stations, or hospitals.
Availability: Free download for iOS and Android.
Description: Official mobile app of Moldova's 112 emergency service, launched 24 March 2026 with support from the Czech Republic and UNDP Moldova, part of the international NG-SOS ecosystem.

Legacy Direct Numbers

Fire Legacy: 901
Police Legacy: 902
Ambulance Legacy: 903
Note: These older direct-dial numbers (901 Fire, 902 Police, 903 Ambulance) were phased out when 112 became the sole emergency number, so 112 is the number to use.

Universal Emergency Number

Number: 112
Coverage: Nationwide, including Chisinau; replaced the older separate numbers 901 (Fire), 902 (Police), and 903 (Ambulance) as the sole emergency number since 1 July 2018.
Description: Moldova uses the universal European emergency number 112 for Police, Fire and Ambulance, and an operator will redirect the call to the appropriate service.

US Embassy Emergency Contact

Embassy After Hours Line: +373 22 408 300
Note: This is for U.S. citizens needing consular emergency assistance, not a substitute for 112.
Description: For emergency services (fire, police, ambulance) within Moldova, dial 112.

Hospitals

Public
Phone
+373 22 250704
Name
Institute of Emergency Medicine (Institutul de Medicină Urgentă, IMU) — formerly Centrul Național Științifico-Practic de Medicină Urgentă
Hours
Emergency/trauma reception operates 24/7; general hospital departments run standard hours but the emergency and traumatology service is continuous
Address
Str. Toma Ciorbă 1, Buiucani sector, Chișinău MD-2004, Moldova
Trauma Designation
De facto main public emergency/trauma referral hospital for Chișinău and the country, but no formal Level I (or other tier) trauma-center designation exists — Moldova has not established a formal trauma-center rating system.
Notes
Runs three core services — emergency medicine, an emergency clinical hospital, and a dedicated traumatology service — plus around 30 clinical sections; it is the facility most patients brought in by the 112 ambulance system with major trauma or head injury are taken to.
Medpark International Hospital
Phone
+373 22 400040
Type
private
Hours
Open 24/7, including the Emergency Unit
Address
Str. Andrei Doga 24, Chișinău 2024, Moldova
Trauma Designation
Not a designated trauma center; it is Moldova's largest private multidisciplinary hospital with a 24/7 emergency department, general surgery, neurosurgery and intensive care capability.
Notes
Private facility popular with expats/foreigners; typically requires up-front cash or insurance payment at time of treatment.
Timofei Moșneaga Republican Clinical Hospital (Spitalul Clinic Republican, SCR)
Phone
Main line via hospital switchboard (see scr.md contacts)
Type
public
Hours
Not separately confirmed for an ER; hospital is a tertiary referral center operating continuously for inpatient care
Address
Str. Nicolae Testemițanu 29, Chișinău MD-2025, Moldova
Trauma Designation
Not a dedicated trauma/ER hospital, but it is the country's oldest and largest tertiary hospital and hosts the Aviasan mobile emergency/air-ambulance service used for specialized emergency transfers nationwide.
Notes
Best thought of as a tertiary specialist and referral hospital (772 beds, 22 departments) rather than a primary walk-in trauma ER.
Municipal Hospital No. 1 (Spitalul Municipal Nr. 1)
Phone
+373 22 809557
Type
public
Hours
24 hours
Address
Str. Melestiu 20, Chișinău, Moldova
Trauma Designation
General municipal hospital with round-the-clock service; no specific trauma-level designation identified.
Notes
Listed as operating 24 hours; independent confirmation of its trauma/surgical capacity beyond general services was not found.

Healthcare

Overview: Chisinau has significantly better healthcare access than rural Moldova, with multiple private and public facilities available. However, quality varies markedly between sectors.
Emergency Contact: Call 112 for emergencies (ambulance, police, fire). This is Moldova's unified emergency number.
Expat Considerations: Moldova's state medical facilities are generally poor, while private clinics and hospitals offer a better standard of care. Expats looking for care reflecting Western medicine standards will want access to private facilities through a private insurance plan. Expats should ensure they have comprehensive health insurance that covers medical evacuation if necessary. If you live in Chisinau, you'll have easy access. Language barriers (Romanian and Russian are primary) may require basic phrase learning.
Registration And Enrollment: Moldova's public health system is managed by CNAM, the National Health Insurance Company. All residents must contribute to the mandatory health insurance scheme through payroll deductions (9% total, shared between employer and employee), which theoretically provides free or low-cost access to basic care in public facilities. Registration with a family doctor (Medic de Familie) is required; this doctor manages general health, issues prescriptions, and provides referrals to specialists.

Access And Quality

Public System: Moldova operates a mandatory health insurance system (CNAM). Public healthcare is theoretically free or low-cost for insured residents but faces resource constraints, outdated infrastructure in some facilities, and occasional medication shortages.
Private Sector: Private hospitals and clinics (Novamed, Medpark) offer Western-standard care at rates substantially lower than Western Europe. High-technology equipment is concentrated in Chisinau.

Key Facilities

Institute of Emergency Medicine — main emergency hospital providing urgent care and specialized services
Chisinau Municipal Clinical Hospital — offers range of healthcare services
Novamed and Medpark — modern private hospitals popular with expats

Pharmacies

Pricing: Generic medicines are affordable compared to Western European standards. Patients' prices of lowest priced generics in the private sector in Moldova were lower priced than in Bulgaria (11% lower), Germany (87% lower) and Italy (64% lower).
Overview: Pharmacies are widely available throughout Chisinau with 24/7 options. Over-the-counter medicine availability is broad, though some prescription items may require consultation.
Major Chains: Pharmacy Hippocrates is one of the leaders in the retail pharmaceutical market of the Republic of Moldova. The network has 170 pharmacies throughout Moldova and more than 500 employees. Felicia is a chain whose outlets often operate on a 24/7 basis.
Delivery Options: Many open pharmacies offer home delivery. Many pharmacies in Chisinau also provide online ordering and home delivery options.
Medicine Availability: You can find a lot of over-the-counter (OTC) medicine in Moldova, including some medicines which require a prescription in other countries. Many basic medicines are available, but it is important to check whether they require a prescription.
Availability And Hours: There are 24/7 pharmacies in the country, including some in the town of Chisinau. Most pharmacies in Chisinau operate weekdays from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Antibiotics And Prescriptions: In Moldova, the sale of antibiotics without a prescription is prohibited. Pharmacists are not allowed to dispense these drugs without a doctor's prescription. To get an antibiotic, you need to see a doctor who will assess your condition and write a prescription. Since 1 April 2024, the country has introduced an electronic prescription system, which simplifies the process of obtaining and using prescribed medicines.

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 Chișinău

Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.