Emergencies in Windhoek

Good to Know

• The number to remember day-to-day in Windhoek is 112 from a mobile phone — it works even without a SIM or credit and connects you to the right service.
• For fire, accidents, or an ambulance specifically within Windhoek, the City's own emergency services line (+264 61 211 111) is the number locals actually call, rather than a generic national line.
• Some private ambulance providers (e.g. E-Med Rescue, Aeromed, MedRescue) also operate in Windhoek and may respond faster if you have travel/medical insurance — it's worth saving one of these numbers alongside the official lines.
• We could not confirm any official government-run 'safety app' for tourists in Namibia — for now, saving the numbers above directly in your phone is the most reliable option.
• Namibia doesn't use a formal 'Level I/II/III trauma center' classification system like the US — none of these facilities carry an official trauma-level rating, so 'best equipped for major trauma' in practice means the private hospitals (Mediclinic Windhoek, Rhino Park) or the two big public referral hospitals (Windhoek Central, Katutura).
• If you have travel insurance, most nomads/expats default to the private hospitals (Mediclinic Windhoek or Rhino Park Private Hospital) in Eros, which are close together and generally faster than the public system.
• Windhoek Central Hospital's non-emergency specialist clinics require a referral and appointment — walk-ins aren't seen for those services — but this doesn't apply to genuine emergency arrivals.