Emergencies in St. John's

Good to Know

• 911 and 999 both work as the all-purpose emergency number for police, fire, and ambulance anywhere in Antigua and Barbuda, including St. John's — no separate numbers per service are needed in a real emergency.
• Mount St. John's Medical Centre in St. John's is the main public hospital where ambulance emergencies are typically taken; serious cases sometimes require medical evacuation off-island, so travel insurance with evacuation coverage is strongly recommended.
• Save the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) emergency alert app before hurricane season (June–November) since storm warnings are pushed through it.
• If calling from a mobile phone abroad, dialing 911 or 999 works the same as on a local line.
• For any life-threatening emergency, dial 911 (or 999) island-wide; ambulance can also be reached directly.
• Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (the renamed Mount St. John's Medical Centre) is the only facility equipped for major trauma, surgery, and critical/inpatient care — go straight there (or have EMS take you there) for serious injuries, not a private clinic.
• Adelin Medical Centre and other private clinics are a good option for non-life-threatening urgent care with shorter wait times, but they will refer serious trauma cases on to the public hospital.
• The main public hospital changed its name from Mount St. John's Medical Centre (MSJMC) to Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre — many maps, directories, and locals still use the old name interchangeably, so don't be confused if you see both.