Health Care

International travel can pose various risks to health, depending on the characteristics of both the traveller and the travel. Travellers may encounter sudden and significant changes in altitude, humidity, microbes and temperature, which can result in ill-health. In addition, serious health risks may arise in areas where accommodation is of poor quality, hygiene and sanitation are inadequate, medical services are not well developed and clean water is unavailable.

The European Health Insurance Card (TEAM in Italy) is available free of charge through Sickness Insurance Institution of the European State: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. These Card (or provisory substitute certificate) allows citizens staying in Italy temporarily to use the buildings and services of the Italian Health System under the same conditions as Italian citizens.

In case of emergency it is possible to call from all the national territory the free telephone number 118. In the cases in which it is not necessary the transport in hospital the service of medical guard (diurnal and nocturnal) is activated, while the service of ambulance or helicopters ambulance (helicopters) is active in the cases in which the transport in hospital is necessary. The helicopter ambulance service is active just in some regions for very serious car incidents or for incidents in mountain so as to make faster the transport of the wounded people. The 118 head office is operating 24 hours out of 24 every day and is in contact with assistance services, the hospitals and the other agencies that take part in emergency case (Civil Protection, Firemen, National Fire Department, and so on).

In the main hospitals there is a service of First Aid which is free and guaranteed to every Italian, european and extra european citizen.

The Italian Red Cross was born in 15 June 1864 in Milan, 2 months before the signing of 1st Geneva convention, and was the natural developing of Milanese Medical Committee founded by Cesare Castiglioni and others meritorious citizens. Milan become immediately the first promoter of Red Cross principles in Italy. Today the International Movement of Red Cross and Red Crescent is the world largest humanitarian network, it includes 120 million volunteers in 178 national societies, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross.

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