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How to choose a hospital in Moscow

In an emergency the hospital is chosen by routing rules, not by the patient: stroke goes to a stroke centre, heart attack to a hospital with a catheterisation lab, major trauma to a trauma centre. Choice becomes real for planned admission and for private care, where the department and the surgeon matter more than the name.

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What to do right now

Identify the specialty
Stroke — a centre with 24/7 CT and neurosurgery: Sklifosovsky, City Hospitals 1, 15, 31, 52, Botkin. Heart attack — a hospital with a 24/7 cath lab. Children — Morozovskaya, Filatovskaya, St Vladimir. Oncology — federal centres by referral.
Check what is nearby
The district pages of this site list the nearest hospitals. In an emergency, distance usually matters more than reputation.
Judge the department, not the brand
Read reviews about the specific department: cardiology may be excellent where trauma is weak.
Ask about paid admission
Most state hospitals have paid departments. A call to their paid-services desk is the only way to secure a specific hospital quickly.
Arrange the transport
We agree the admission time and deliver the patient with escort — to a state, federal or private clinic.

Call an ambulance if

Emergency — do not choose, call: the crew takes the patient to the profile hospital by order
A specific hospital privately — by arrangement with its admissions or paid-services department
Planned admission with referral 057/u — choose from hospitals by specialty

What not to do

Do not delay emergency admission to find a "better" hospital — the stroke thrombolysis window is 4.5 hours
Do not expect a state ambulance to take you wherever you ask
Do not choose by name alone — ask about the department and the doctor
Do not refuse a duty hospital because of reviews: acute conditions are treated to uniform protocols

What the crew does

Assessment of the condition and specialty required
Dispatch order to a duty hospital under compulsory insurance
Arrangement of admission at a hospital of your choice — privately
Stretcher transport with escort and handover at admissions

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

Can I ask to be taken to Sklifosovsky or Botkin?

In an emergency only if the order sends you there by specialty. For planned care — by referral. Privately — through the hospital’s paid-services department if beds are available; we arrange and transport.

How do I get into a federal centre?

By a referral for high-technology care, by quota or by contract with the centre. Federal centres normally do not accept emergency admissions.

We do not like the hospital we were taken to — can we move?

After stabilisation, yes: to another state hospital by agreement between chief physicians, or to a private clinic. We transfer patients between hospitals with escort.