In Case of Emergency (in Copenhagen)

## **WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT: IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY**

In case of an emergency while you are in Copenhagen, always dial 112. It will connect you to the police, fire brigade or hospital.

If you need to go to an emergency room, you must call 1813 before you go and bring your Yellow Card.

### **Life-threatening Situations, Serious Crimes and Fire Emergencies**

Call (+45) 112 and ask for the police, fire department or ambulance service.

### **Injuries or Sudden Severe Illness**

Call (+45) 1813 for injuries or sudden illness outside of regular GP hours and speak to a nurse or doctor, or to go to a hospital emergency department. You must call 1813 before you go to the emergency department.

### **Poison Control Hotline**

Call (+45) 82 12 12 12 if you have been poisoned or you suspect poisoning. The Poison Control Hotline is open 24 hours a day.

### **Non-life-threatening/Non-time Sensitive Matters that Require Police Attention**

Call (+45) 114 for police, when it is not an emergency.

### **Siren Warnings**

The sirens in Denmark are used to warn the public in case of major emergencies that require people to go indoors to avoid being affected by e.g. chemical gasses, radiation or hazardous smoke. Once every year - on the **first Wednesday of May** - the sirens are tested.

In the event of a major accident or a disaster, the police may decide to use the sirens. At the same time, an emergency message will be broadcasted by the two national TV stations DR and TV2.

### **For a full list of who to contact in an emergency:**

https://lifeindenmark.borger.dk/Living-in-Denmark/Emergencies

#### **Danish Emergency Help App with GPS Locating Feature**

It, of course, is in Danish—but is Icon heavy and easy to figure out.

***Akuthjælp***

This app contains addresses, opening hours, maps and description of terms for the use of emergency admissions, emergency clinics, emergency services, etc. The user can enter their own data such as contact person, allergies and blood type. A good resource if you are out of the home.

iOS Download HERE

Android Download HERE

## **FOR EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS, INJURIES & SEVERE ILLNESSES**

You must dial 1813:

* **After 16.00 Monday-Friday and on Weekends.** If you need help outside of your GP's normal hours, please dial 1813. Physicians and nurses will advise you about proper treatment. For example, they can refer you to a hospital emergency department or an urgent care center.
* **To receive treatment within the shortest waiting time.** The Medical Helpline 1813 is able to inform you about which hospital emergency department or urgent care center has the shortest waiting time. As part of the service, you will be informed about when you can expect to be examined and treated. If you visit a hospital emergency center or an urgent care center without an appointment, you will receive help according to your needs, but you will normally wait a little longer.

* **To receive proper help.** The Medical Helpline 1813 is staffed by specially trained nurses and physicians who can help you with advice and guidance if you have suffered an injury, or if you have suddenly become ill. The Medical Helpline 1813 knows which service you require that matches your situation.

## **HOSPITAL EMERGENCY WARDS**

Always call (+45) 1813 before going to a hospital emergency department. They will not admit you otherwise. The Medical Helpline 1813 is staffed by physicians and nurses who are able to guide you to proper and quick help and assistance when your GP is closed—and direct you to the emergency room with the shortest wait.

***REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR YELLOW (CPR) CARD.***

The following hospitals have 24-hour emergency wards:

* Bispebjerg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 2400 Copenhagen NV, tel.: +45 3531 3531
* Herlev Hospital, Herlev Ringvej 75, 2730 Herlev, tel.: +45 3868 3868
* Hvidovre Hospital, Kettegårds Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, tel.: +45 3632 3632
* Nordsjællands Hospital, Bakkedraget, 3400 Hillerød, tel.: +45 4829 4829

The following hospitals' emergency wards are open 07:00-22:00:

* Frederikssund Hospital, Frederikssundsvej 30, 3600 Frederikssund, tel.: +45 4829 5000
* Amager Hospital, Italiensvej 1, 2300 Copenhagen S, tel.: +45 3234 3500
* Frederiksberg Hospital, Nordre Fasanvej 57, 2000 Frederiksberg, tel.: +45 3816 3816
* Gentofte Hospital, Niels Andersens Vej 65, 2900 Hellerup, tel.: +45 3977 3977
* Glostrup Hospital, Nordre Ringvej 57, 2600 Glostrup, tel.: +45 3863 3863

## **EMERGENCY DENTIST INFORMATION**

https://www.regionh.dk/english/Healthcare-Services/Emergency-Medical-Services/Pages/Emergency-Dentist.aspx

## **24-HOUR CHEMISTS**

Due to a change in law, there is now only one 24-hour a day pharmacy in Copenhagen. It is located near Copenhagen Central station. There are several that are still open until midnight.

 *24-Hour Pharmacy in the Capital Region of Denmark:*

* Copenhagen Steno Pharmacy, Vesterbrogade 6 C, 1620 Copenhagen V, Tel. 33 14 82 66

*Open until midnight:*

* Lyngby Svane Pharmacy, Lyngby Hovedgade 27, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Tel. 45 87 00 96
* Glostrup Pharmacy, Highway 101, 2600 Glostrup, Tel. 43 96 00 20
* Copenhagen Sønderbro Pharmacy, Amagerbrogade 158, 2300 Copenhagen S, Tel. 32 58 01 40

  == **POISON CONTROL** ==
 Call (+45) 82 12 12 12 if you have been poisoned or you suspect poisoning.

### **What happens when I call the poison control hotline?**

When you call the hotline you will speak to a specially trained physician or nurse.  They can give immediate advice on what to do and where you can go to receive the appropriate treatment.

### **When should I call the Poison Control Hotline?**

You should call the hotline when you have been exposed to a poisonous substance or when you suspect that you may been poisoned.  Possible scenarios could include accidents with:

* Chemical products
* Intoxicating substances
* Stings and bites
* Food poisoning
* Plants and mushrooms

## **MISSING OR LOST CHILDREN**

* Contact your local police immediately at (+45) 112
* Stay calm and ask family, friends and neighbors to help you
* If a small child is missing, start by looking in the immediate area and places where the child could be in danger, such as near ponds or canals, the street, a place where dangerous products are kept, and so on. Do this in a systematic way
* Keep in mind that small children sometimes hide somewhere and then fall asleep

You are likely new to the country—if you can, teach your children your new phone numbers or home address, or give them a bracelet with your contact information written on the inside.

## **TERRORIST ACTS**

While not common, Copenhagen has been the target of terrorists as recently as 2015.

Always be vigilant and to borrow a phrase from the NYPD, if you see something, say something.

Though it is not pleasant subject matter, educate yourself about what to do in the event you are present during a terror act, either while in Copenhagen, on vacation or back at home.

The Unitied Kingdom’s National Counter Terrorism Office has put together a string of educational videos to help you understand what to do:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stay-safe-film

## **DANGEROUS ANIMALS**

There are a small number of wolves (though they may have been hunted back to extinction by this writing) in Jutland. There are also wild boars, but those are kept in woodland parks. Denmark is home to the European Adder, its only poisonous snake, which lives in heavy brush and thickets. There are about 200 bites a year, but serious injury or death is very rare. The last shark attack in the region was in 1755, and it happened to a Swedish fisherman in the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea. Not exactly Copenhagen Harbour. Even when it is hot it is too cold for sharks in Copenhagen.

## **NATURAL DISASTERS**

Storms and floods are the main natural phenomena to be wary of in Denmark. It is not at risk of tsunami, earthquakes, or avalanches, because you would need large hills for that. They do occasionally have droughts, like in the summer of 2018, which created a minor risk of forest fire. But generally, you are as safe from the weather as you are from the plants and animals here.

## **What You Should Know About: Going to the Doctor**

We all hear a great deal about the free doctor visits and healthcare--but what happens when you need to actually go to the doctor? Well, it turns out, it's surprisingly easy--at parts. When you got your CPR/Yellow Card, you either chose or were given a doctor. Their number is on your card--call them up! They will set up a time for you--and they can also give you a prescription over the phone for most things, if you need them, without a visit. They are very helpful.

If you arrive at your appointment between the hours of 1200-1300 and the office is completely empty, do not panic. Every doctor and nurse/secretary in Denmark is at lunch at this time. Where the nurse/secretary sits there will be what looks like a credit card reader. My first time, used to how things go in the States, I arrived, announced myself to the nurse/secretary, and then sat down. It was just myself and the nurse/secretary in the waiting room. The time of my appointment came and went. After twenty minutes I stood up and asked if the doctor was delayed. 'Have you swiped your card?' she asked, pointing at the credit card machine. I swiped my yellow card and 30 seconds later the Doctor opened the door and had me in. The Yellow Card is the key to everything, including telling the doctor you have arrived. All your prescriptions, appointments, records, are accessed across the healthcare system with it. You also need it to buy a mobile phone.

One last note about the Doctors, and Danes in general. You need to ask direct questions and followup, sometimes a few times, to get the information you need. They will not offer the information or anticipate the arc of your questioning. The doctor was also surprised that I was there without something being seriously wrong with me. I said it was time for my yearly check-up. The Danes don't really do those things--so you need to ask for the tests you want. Another surprising thing: the doctor has phone hours every morning where you can call up and discuss a problem or concern and they will diagnose you without you having to come into the office. If you have tests done, YOU are responsible for call the Doctor or nurse/secretary for the results.