What should you know about healthcare and emergencies in Kaohsiung?
Police
110
Ambulance: 119.
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: ait.org.tw, kmuh.org.tw
Good to know
Good to Know
- Save 110 (police) and 119 (fire/ambulance) in your phone before you need them — Taiwan has no single unified number like 911, so knowing which one to dial saves time in a real emergency.
- If you're unsure which service you need, dialling 110 (police) will still get you help — they can redirect or loop in fire/ambulance.
- The 0800-024-111 foreigner hotline is genuinely useful in Kaohsiung if a 119/110 dispatcher's English is limited, which is more likely outside Taipei.
- Kaohsiung has its own 24-hour Foreign Affairs Police Station (07-2154342) specifically for assisting foreigners, separate from the general 110 line.
- Taiwan sits in an earthquake- and typhoon-prone zone, so it's worth knowing basic drop-cover-hold-on earthquake procedure even as a short-term visitor.
- For any life-threatening emergency in Taiwan, dial 119 for ambulance/fire and 110 for police — these are free and staffed by dispatchers who can usually connect you to English-language support in a major city like Kaohsiung.
- KMUH, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, and Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital are the most nomad-relevant heavy-level trauma centers because they sit closer to central districts; E-Da Hospital is also a major trauma center but is located well outside the city center in Yanchao District.
- Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital and Kaohsiung Chang Gung both operate dedicated International Medical Centers with English-speaking staff for foreign patients — worth calling ahead if you need translation support for a non-emergency visit.
- Real-time ER bed/crowding status for the city's responsibility hospitals is published live by the Kaohsiung City Government Health Bureau, so wait times can vary significantly hour to hour.
Official Safety Apps
National 119 App (消防署119緊急救護通報APP)
- Purpose
- Lets you submit emergency requests in English (and Chinese), including your GPS location and photos, directly to fire/ambulance dispatch.
- Publisher
- National Fire Agency, Ministry of the Interior
Public/Official Earthquake & Tsunami Alert System
- Purpose
- Delivers real-time earthquake and tsunami alerts nationwide, including Kaohsiung; alerts also arrive automatically via the government's cell broadcast system on most smartphones.
- Publisher
- Central Weather Administration / government disaster alert system
Mental Health Crisis Lines
1925
- Notes
- National Suicide Prevention Centre 24-hour hotline, run by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
1995
- Notes
- Taiwan Lifeline International 24-hour hotline, a separate mental health crisis line.
Hospitals
Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital (KMUH)
- Phone
- +886-7-312-1101
- Address
- No. 100, Tzyou 1st Rd., Sanmin Dist., Kaohsiung City 80756, Taiwan
- ER Hours
- 24 hours / 365 days
- Chinese Name
- 高雄醫學大學附設中和紀念醫院
- Trauma Level
- Heavy-level (重度級) emergency responsibility hospital — the highest designation in Taiwan's tiered emergency-hospital system
- Notes
- Designated by the Kaohsiung City Government Health Bureau as one of the city's top-tier trauma centers and serves as the lead hospital for the Kaohsiung-Pingtung emergency medical network. Has an International Medical Center for foreign patients.
Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital
- Phone
- +886-7-342-2121
- Address
- No. 386, Dazhong 1st Road, Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City
- ER Hours
- 24 hours / 365 days (typical for designated heavy-level ER)
- Chinese Name
- 高雄榮民總醫院
- Trauma Level
- Heavy-level (重度級) emergency responsibility hospital
- Notes
- Located in Zuoying District, near the Kaohsiung HSR/THSR station area.
E-Da Hospital
- Phone
- +886-7-615-0011
- Address
- No. 1, Yida Rd., Jiaosu Village, Yanchao District, Kaohsiung City 82445
- ER Hours
- Open 24 hours
- Chinese Name
- 義大醫院
- Trauma Level
- Heavy-level (重度級) emergency responsibility hospital
- Notes
- Large hospital campus in Yanchao District, roughly 30–45 minutes by car/taxi from downtown Kaohsiung — noted here because it is one of only four heavy-level trauma centers serving the whole city, not because it is centrally located.
Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
- Phone
- +886-7-731-7123
- Address
- No. 123, Dapi Road, Niaosong District, Kaohsiung City
- ER Hours
- 24 hours / 365 days
- Chinese Name
- 長庚醫療財團法人高雄長庚紀念醫院
- Trauma Level
- Heavy-level (重度級) emergency responsibility hospital
- Notes
- One of the highest-volume emergency departments in southern Taiwan; has an International Medical Center.
Healthcare
- Nhi Enrollment
- Expats who enroll in Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) benefit from modest co-payments on covered medicines, keeping overall healthcare expenditure low. The system maintains 90%+ patient satisfaction rates.
- System Overview
- Taiwan operates a world-leading universal healthcare system. Kaohsiung has multiple major hospitals with international medical services and English-speaking staff.
- Healthcare Quality
- Taiwan consistently ranks first globally for healthcare quality and cost-effectiveness. The country's healthcare system is characterized by good accessibility, comprehensive population coverage, short waiting times, and low costs. Kaohsiung, as a major city, has medical resources described as 'more than enough'.
- Multilingual Services
- International hospitals and clinics in Kaohsiung commonly employ multilingual staff capable of serving patients in English.
Major Hospitals
Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital
- Address
- No. 100, Ziyou 1st Road, Sanmin District
- Contact
- 07-312-1101 ext. 5507
- International Center
- Yes
- Notes
- Listed among World's Best Hospitals by Newsweek 2024; designated High Quality Cancer Therapy Center; large academic teaching hospital
Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
- Address
- No. 123, Dapi Road, Niaosong District
- Contact
- 07-731-7123 ext. 6150
- International Center
- Yes
- Notes
- 2,680 bed capacity; 81 clinical departments; handles ~7,300 outpatients and 350 emergency patients daily
E-Da Hospital
- Address
- No. 1, Yida Road, Yanchao District
- Contact
- 07-615-0011 ext. 5764
- International Center
- Yes
- Notes
- Large private hospital with international patient services
Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital
- Address
- No. 2, Zhongzheng 1st Road, Lingya District
- International Center
- No
- Notes
- Government hospital; emergency services available
Fire
- Number
- 119
- Notes
- Same number is used for both fire and ambulance dispatch; the operator routes the call appropriately.
Police
- Number
- 110
- Notes
- 24-hour police and general emergency-rescue hotline, applicable in Kaohsiung as everywhere in Taiwan.
Ambulance
- Number
- 119
- Notes
- Kaohsiung City Police Department lists Police and Ambulance dispatch together under 110/119 coverage, both staffed 24 hours.
Universal Note
Taiwan does not have one single universal emergency number like 911 or 112 in the EU; it uses a dual-number system (110 for police, 119 for fire/ambulance), though 112 works as a GSM failover number on mobile phones.
Anti Fraud Hotline
- Number
- 165
- Notes
- National Anti-Fraud hotline for scam reporting.
Mobile Gsm Failover
- Number
- 112
- Notes
- Works from a mobile phone even without a SIM card or with poor signal, and can route you to 110 or 119; instructions are available in both Chinese and English.
Women Children Protection
- Number
- 113
- Notes
- National hotline for domestic violence and sexual assault / women and children protection cases.
National Foreigner Helpline
- Number
- 0800-024-111
- Notes
- 24-hour toll-free multilingual foreigner assistance line covering the whole country, including Kaohsiung; can help communicate your situation or connect you to the right service.
Kaohsiung Foreign Affairs Police
- Number
- 07-2154342
- Notes
- 24-hour Foreign Affairs Police Station specific to Kaohsiung City, for foreigners needing police assistance.
National Emergency Numbers
- Police
- 110
- Ambulance Fire
- 119
- Kaohsiung City 24hr Health Hotline
- 1999
Additional Moderate Level Backup Hospitals Mentioned By City Health Bureau
Additional Moderate Level Backup Hospitals Mentioned By City Health Bureau
- Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital (高雄市立小港醫院)
- Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital (高雄市立聯合醫院)
- Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital (高雄市立大同醫院)
- Jen-Ai Hospital (阮綜合醫院)
- Armed Forces Kaohsiung General Hospital (國軍高雄總醫院)
- Armed Forces Zuoying General Hospital (國軍左營總醫院)
Pharmacies
- Coverage
- Kaohsiung has 978 pharmacies, making medication access highly convenient. Taiwan has more than 6,000 NHI-contracted pharmacies nationwide, representing higher density than convenience stores.
- Pharmacy Types
- Licensed pharmacies (藥局/yào jú) are authorized to fill NHI prescriptions and must have a qualified pharmacist on premises at all times. Medicine shops (藥房/yào fáng) are less formal but sell basic OTC products.
- Operating Hours
- 80% of pharmacies open over 12 hours; approximately 40% open year-round without days off, and just over 30% have one day off per week. Hospital dispensaries in major hospitals are open 24 hours.
- Prescription System
- Taiwan implemented separation of prescribing and dispensing since 1997. Most prescriptions can be filled at community pharmacies with modest NHI co-payments. Hospital emergency department pharmacies fill prescriptions issued in emergency contexts, open 24 hours.
- Multilingual Services
- While not all pharmacies have English-speaking staff, international hospitals and clinics in Kaohsiung employ multilingual staff and can facilitate prescription services.
- Medication Availability
- Common OTC products (paracetamol, ibuprofen, antihistamines, cold remedies, antacids, cough syrups, topical antiseptics, vitamins) are readily accessible without prescription. Convenience stores (7-Eleven, FamilyMart) stock basic OTC medicines and are open 24/7.
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 Kaohsiung
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.