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How to call an ambulance and what to say

The words you use decide how fast help arrives: the dispatcher classifies the call by symptoms, not by how worried you sound. Say “unconscious”, “chest pain”, “cannot speak” and the call becomes an emergency with a 20-minute target. Say “feels unwell” and it becomes a non-urgent call with a two-hour window.

Call now +7 (985) 887-82-52dispatch line, 24/7 (Russian-speaking)

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What to do right now

Dial 103 or 112
103 is the ambulance service, 112 is the single emergency number that forwards the call. Both work from any mobile, including one with no SIM or no balance.
Give the address first
Street, building, entrance, floor, flat, door code, landmarks. If the line drops, the crew can still be sent.
State the symptom, not the diagnosis
Not "I think it is a heart attack" but "pressing chest pain for 20 minutes, sweating". The dispatcher decides the category from the symptom.
Stay on the line
The dispatcher will ask about consciousness, breathing, age and medication — these questions are not bureaucracy, they set the priority.
Prepare the way in
Unlock the door, switch on the lights, remove the dog, have documents and the medication list ready. Meet the crew downstairs if possible.

Call an ambulance if

No consciousness, no breathing, choking
Chest pain, signs of stroke, severe bleeding, seizures, allergic swelling of the face and throat
Serious injury, road accident, burns, electrical injury
A child under one year with fever, vomiting or lethargy
Any state where the person is getting worse in front of you

What not to do

Do not hang up before the dispatcher does
Do not exaggerate symptoms that are not there — the crew will see the mismatch
Do not call 103 for prescriptions, sick notes or medical certificates — ambulances do not issue them
Do not move an injured person unless there is danger where they lie

What the crew does

Arrival within the promised time, examination and treatment on the spot
ECG, tests, injections, infusion, oxygen as required
Hospital admission by dispatch order under compulsory insurance, or to a private clinic by arrangement
A contract and a receipt; calls are recorded, which protects both sides

This page is for information and does not replace a medical examination. If the condition worsens, call the crew: +7 (985) 887-82-52.

This page in Russian: Russian version.

Questions

What if I do not speak Russian?

The state ambulance line answers in Russian only. Ask a Russian speaker — hotel reception, a colleague — to call, or write to us in a messenger in English: address, what happened, your name and phone. Our English page: skoraya-pomosh112.ru/en/.

When does a private ambulance make more sense?

When the state service has classified your call as non-urgent and you are told to wait a couple of hours, or when you need transport, a specific hospital or a private clinic. In a life-threatening emergency call both — the first to arrive helps.

How much does a private call-out cost?

Call-out 6,000 ₽ inside the MKAD; everything else is agreed with you in advance and listed in the price list.