What should you know about healthcare and emergencies in Utila?
Emergency number
911
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: utilaguide.com, expatexchange.com
This call covers only named hospitals/ER/trauma-capable facilities; Utila has no full hospital, so entries reflect the island's actual emergency-care facilities and standard evacuation routes.
Good to know
Good to Know
- Utila is a small island with genuinely limited emergency infrastructure: there's no dedicated ambulance, so calling 911 or the local police and getting transport arranged can take time — factor this into any risky activity planning (e.g., diving, driving a scooter/ATV).
- For anything beyond basic care, be mentally and financially prepared for a ferry transfer to Roatán or the mainland — travel/medical evacuation insurance that covers this is genuinely worth having on Utila.
- Because diving is central to Utila's economy, the island does have a hyperbaric chamber for decompression sickness, but this is not a substitute for general emergency medical care.
- Utila itself has no general hospital — for anything beyond basic care, patients are stabilized locally then evacuated by boat or small plane to Roatán or the mainland, so travel/medical evacuation insurance is strongly advised, especially for scuba diving.
- There is no dedicated ambulance service on the island; in an emergency, calling the local police for help arranging transport is the standard advice, and response times can vary.
- Utila does have its own hyperbaric chamber (rare for an island this size), which matters a lot if you plan to dive, since decompression sickness can otherwise require a rough multi-hour boat crossing to Roatán.
- Wide areas of the Bay Islands, including Utila, do not have a general surgery hospital, so serious injuries or illnesses typically mean an off-island transfer.
Emergency Numbers
Official Safety Apps
- Confirmed
- No
- Note
- No official, Utila- or Honduras-specific emergency/safety mobile app could be confirmed via available sources for this entry; visitors should rely on calling 911 directly and on their dive operator, accommodation, or travel insurance's emergency contacts as the practical backup on the island.
Utila Specific Notes
- There is no dedicated ambulance service based on Utila itself.
- In a medical emergency on Utila, residents and visitors are typically advised to contact the local police, who help arrange transport to a medical facility, and response times can vary.
- Serious medical emergencies or major surgeries generally cannot be handled on Utila; the closest major hospital (Cemesa) is on Roatán, roughly a two-hour ferry ride away, and mainland transfer (often via La Ceiba) is common for complex cases.
- Because diving is a major activity on Utila, the island has a recompression (hyperbaric) chamber for treating decompression sickness, though there is no advanced general medical care on the island for diving accidents beyond that.
National Universal Number
- Number
- 911
- Description
- Honduras operates a national 911 emergency system (Sistema Nacional de Emergencias 9-1-1) intended to dispatch police, fire, and ambulance services, and this is the number to call from anywhere in the country, including Utila, as the first point of contact.
Other National Numbers Sometimes Cited
199
- Description
- Listed by some sources as a national emergency line.
195
- Description
- Listed as the number for the local Red Cross.
Hospitals
Utila Hyperbaric Chamber & Trauma Center
- Type
- Private trauma/emergency and diving-medicine center (not a full hospital)
- Hours
- Scheduled hyperbaric treatments and consultations Monday–Friday 7:30am–4:30pm; the facility states it also handles emergency and trauma care outside those hours, including weekends and holidays
- Address
- Sandy Bay, Utila, Islas de la Bahía — located in central Utila across from the town park, in front of Utila Lodge, past the fire station and Whale Shark Center
- Trauma Level Designation
- None — Honduras does not use a formal (e.g. US ACS-style) trauma-level classification system. This center is the island's only dedicated trauma/dive-emergency facility and the only hyperbaric chamber on Utila.
- Notes
- Primarily set up to treat decompression sickness ("the bends") for divers, working with DAN (Divers Alert Network), but also functions as the island's main trauma-response point for injuries. It is not equipped as a general acute-care hospital.
Utila Medical Center (Centro Médico)
- Type
- Private clinic
- Hours
- Advertises 24/7 emergency service and home visits
- Address
- Utila Town (exact street address not publicly listed by the clinic)
- Trauma Level Designation
- None — functions as a general private clinic, not a trauma-designated hospital.
- Notes
- Described by expat resources as a small private clinic; not equipped for major trauma, surgery, or serious emergencies.
Public Health Center Utila (Centro De Salud)
- Type
- Public health clinic
- Hours
- Limited weekday hours (basic public clinic schedule; not 24/7)
- Address
- Utila Town
- Trauma Level Designation
- None.
- Notes
- Part of the Honduran public health system, providing basic consultations and minor care only.
Healthcare
- Overview
- Utila has limited healthcare services suitable only for basic and minor medical issues due to its remote island location.
- Specialists
- One dentist available on the island; other specialists unavailable
- Decompression Chamber
- Utila has a hyperbaric decompression chamber for diving-related injuries
- Insurance Recommendation
- Private medical insurance strongly recommended; companies operating on Utila include Seguros Atlantida and Seguros Del País
- Serious Emergency Protocol
- Serious medical emergencies and complex surgical procedures require evacuation to mainland Honduras, typically to Hospital Cemesa in Roatan (approximately two-hour ferry ride) or hospitals in La Ceiba or San Pedro Sula.
- Evacuation Note
- No dedicated ambulance service on the island; emergency transportation arranged via local police (response times variable)
Facilities
Utila Medical Centre
- Type
- private clinic
- Capacity
- Limited; not equipped for serious medical emergencies or complex procedures
- Services
- Basic medical consultations, minor procedures, 24/7 emergency services and home visits
Public Health Center Utila
- Type
- public clinic
- Capacity
- Limited resources; crowded; not recommended for serious emergencies
- Services
- General consultations, basic medical services
Nearest Higher Level Care
- Facility
- Hospital CEMESA, Roatán
- Capability
- 24-hour emergency care, surgical services, ICU — the nearest facility genuinely equipped for serious trauma or surgery
- Distance Time
- Approximately a two-hour ferry ride from Utila
- Further Option
- For the most complex cases, patients are sometimes transferred onward to the Honduran mainland (e.g. La Ceiba or San Pedro Sula).
Pharmacies
- Overview
- Limited pharmacy options on Utila with restricted inventory and availability.
- Inventory
- Limited stock of common medications; specialized or less common medications may not be available
- Availability
- Few pharmacies on island; resources limited
- Mainland Option
- For medications not available on island, access via La Ceiba or San Pedro Sula on mainland Honduras
- Regulatory Note
- Check with Honduras Embassy before arrival regarding legality of medications you require in Honduras
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 Utila
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.