Before embarking on your trip to New York make sure you have adequate travel
insurance. Many people don’t give this much thought, but if you are involved
in an accident or some kind of emergency, the bill for medical attention
will be very expensive. The medical services in New York are some of the
finest in the world but fees in the United States aren’t capped and
basically they can charge what they like.
Some dentists and physicians will accept payment by credit cards, but most
will prefer payments in travellers’ cheques or cash. All the hospitals will
accept most major credit cards for treatment.
If you find yourself in the position of needing medical attention, either
call 911 for emergency services or go to a hospital emergency room. The city
owned hospitals are all listed in the Blue Pages telephone book, but these
can be very crowded. The best option is to choose a private hospital. These
are listed in the Yellow Pages and you can call 411 and ask an operator to
give you the number of the nearest one if you are unsure.
An alternative would be to ask the receptionist at your hotel to call a
doctor or dentist for you. They will visit you in your hotel room and as
long as you have sufficient medical insurance, the bill won’t be a problem.
There is also a phone number for Dial A Doctor listed below and a national
organization called Travellers’ Aid – an organization who help travellers
and tourists.
Emergency Telephone Numbers:
Fire, Police and Medical services: 911 or (0)
Dial A Doctor: 971-9692
Hospital Emergency Rooms: 604-7998
St Vincent’s
11th Street and Seventh Avenue
Hospital Emergency Rooms: 523-6800
St Luke’s Roosevelt
58th Street and Ninth Avenue
Crime Victims Hot Line: 577-7777
New York Hotel Urgent Medical Services: 737-1212
NYU Dental Care: 998-9800
345 E 24th Street / 1st Avenue
Open 9am – 6.30pm Monday to Thursday
Open 9am – 4pm Friday
For weekends and after 9pm call: 998-9828
Pharmacy (24 hour) : 247-8384
Rite Aid
50th Street / 8th Avenue
Emergency Telephone Numbers: