Medical and Emergencies

When people plan their vacation, an important consideration in choosing a destination can be the availability of good medical care in the event of an illness or accident. Those concerned about health care in Aruba can rest assured when considering Aruba as vacation destination.

Many hotels are equipped with handicapped facilities and tourists have the possibility of renting a large assortment of health care products such as wheelchairs (both standard and electric) walkers, crutches, bed pans, concentrators, scooters etc.

Aruba is well equipped to handle virtually every medical problem. In unique cases where the island's own medical services do not cover the emergency, a patient can be quickly airlifted to nearby facilities (i.e. In Curacao). An air ambulance is available and this aircraft is equipped as ICU unit. Medical staff will be available during the flight to provide any assistance in case of an emergency.

Please be advised that your medical insurance may not be accepted and that there would be a possibility that doctor and/or hospital visits should be paid with cash or credit card. Prescriptions from home cannot be used at local pharmacies and you would require a local doctor to write the prescription for you.

Emergency Services

Most of the hotels in Aruba have a consulting General Practitioner and dentist on call and front desk personnel can set up appointments if necessary. In case of an emergency at the hotel, the front desk personnel can contact the hotel physician who will direct the patient to the hospital if necessary.

In case of an emergency outside the hotel all travelers can go to the emergency room of Aruba's general hospital (Dr. Horacio Oduber located in Oranjestad - see below) where they will be attended. The Emergency Department has an attending physician on site 24 hours a day. The medical specialists are on call. The facility is wheelchair accessible.

Emergency numbers

• Fire department & ambulance: 911
• Police: 100
• Hospital in Oranjestad: +297 527 4000
• Medical Center in San Nicolas: +297 524 8833

Urgent Care

Urgent Care Aruba is a walk-in Clinic for non-life threatening illnesses and injuries and is located in Noord. The clinic is privately operated by a number of physicians and is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

The clinic is equipped to treat the following conditions: Eye, ear, nose and throat conditions, pulmonary complaints, cardiovascular issues, gastrointestinal complaints, renal complaints, neurological disorders, gynecology and women's health, pediatric complaints, infectious illnesses, environmental injuries, endocrine issues, skin disorders, musculoskeletal complaints and wound care.

Location and accessibility

Urgent Care Aruba is located in Noord, 3-5 minutes away for the high-rise hotels.

Address: Urgent Care Aruba, Noord 63, Noord, Aruba Phone: +297 586 0448

Clinics

Dr. Horacio Oduber Hospital

Dr. Horacio Oduber Hospital is the main hospital, a medical facility equipped with reputable medical staff, 280 beds and modern equipment. It functions as a general hospital with established ties to the U.S., Colombian, Venezuelan, Puerto Rican, and Dutch hospitals for specialized treatment and care. The official languages for documentation and when being attended is Dutch and English, but staff and patients are often also able to communicate in Spanish, Papiamento, Dutch and/or English depending on the specialist's preference.

Location and accessibility

Dr. Horacio Oduber Hospital is located close to Eagle Beach, right in front of the Alhambra Casino and within 5 minutes of the high-rise hotels in Palm Beach. It is easily accessible by car, bus (line 10) or by taxi. The hospital has ample parking spaces.

Address: Dr. Horacio E. Oduber Hospitaal Boulevard 1, Oranjestad, Aruba Phone: +297 527 4000

Medical Specialties

Dr. Horacio E. Oduber Hospital has several specialties represented, knowing: General Surgery, Anesthesiology, Cardiology, Dermatology, Gynecology, Intensive Care, Internal Medicine, Pediatry, Clinical Chemistry, Clinical Pharmacy, Otolaryngology, Pulmonology, Nephrology, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Oncology, Oncology Surgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Pain Management, Pathology, Plastic Surgery, Psychiatry, Radiology, Rehabilitation & Urology.

Oxygen tanks and hemodialysis services are available.

Visiting hours

The general visiting hour apply for most departments, with the exception of the maternity ward, the intensive care, coronary care, obstetrics and the pediatric ward.

• General visiting hours are daily from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm and from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
• Maternity ward: the partner/spouse is welcome from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. Only 2 visitors at a time are allowed to visit during general visiting hours.
• Intensive Care & Coronary Care: from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm and from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
• Obstetrics: only for partner/spouse with one visitor
• Pediatric ward: parents and close relatives can visit from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Centro Medico: Dr. Rudy Engelbrecht

This Medical Center is located in San Nicolas and is equipped with a reputable medical staff and modern equipment. Consulting hours are Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Emergency assistance is available 24 hours, seven days a week.

All physicians are licensed and certified in Holland, the United States with some from South America. The attending nurses have received their degrees either in Holland, US or locally. The local in-service training is Dutch certified.

The principal operating language in the hospital is Dutch. English is widely spoken and written as well as Papiamento and Spanish.

Location and accessibility

The Centro Medico: Dr. Rudy Engelbrecht is located in San Nicolas. This medical center is accessible by bus (line 1), car or taxi.

Address: Centro Medico: Dr. Rudy Engelbrecht, Bernhardstraat 75, San Nicolas, Aruba Phone +297 584 8833

Medical Specialties

Centro Medico: Dr. Rudy Engelbrecht has several specialties represented, knowing: Anesthesiology, Cardiology, Dermatology, Gynecology, Hemodialysis, Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Obstetrics, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Pain Management, Pediatrics, Plastic surgery, Psychiatry, Radiology, Surgery and Urology.

Pharmacies

There are several pharmacies located conveniently around the island. Pharmacies are normally open from Monday's through Saturday's from 7 am to 7 pm. Outside the regular opening hours there is always one designated pharmacy on duty and this store will remain open for 24 hours for emergencies. The pharmacy on duty will rotate on a weekly basis and each pharmacy will place an announcement on their window specifying which pharmacy will be on duty on that day. You could check which pharmacy is on duty by following the following link: pharmacy on duty in Aruba.

Please note that local pharmacies are not allowed to fill a prescription of a doctor that is not practicing medicine on Aruba.

All medications, including paracetamol are only available from pharmacies.

Facilities For Guests With Special Needs

Some resorts offer accommodations and equipment for guests with special needs, and many hotels are wheelchair friendly. Always contact the reservation department of the resort for specific details about the facilities and availability. Room reservations are subject to availability and a special request needs to be made to the reservation department.

Aruba's Airport is equipped with the required facilities to accommodate travelers with special needs. For more information about the available facilities it would be recommended to contact your airlines.

All airlines provide wheelchair assistance and it would be best to advise the airline at the time of booking.

There is also a medical center located at the airport and arrangements can be made through this facility for special needs upon arrival or departure in Aruba.

LiteLife Medicab Aruba provides door-to-door medical transportation for passengers in need of specialized transportation of wheelchair transportation.

Some car rentals have vans available that will fit a wheelchair and you could buy or rent a ramp at Labco or Essential Health Supplies.

El Tours is offering island tours for persons with special needs. The company is working together with a medical company that will provide the vehicle and EL Tours will provide the tour guide.