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In
Spain there is a very comprehensive public health service which
can be used for free by all citizens of the E.C. that possess an E111
document. However, emergency services are made available to any and all
people regardless of nationality or circumstance. Moreover, all
the international medical insurance associations have agreements
regarding this and also with approved private medical centres.
Primary
health care is available from 'ambulatorios'. These are district
health centres which run a Doctors Surgery - foreign visitors can also
have access to a translation service, however it is recommended to find
out in advance what times it is available. Most centres can be used in
the event of an emergency, but it is advisable to use the casualty
centres in the main hospitals of towns in the Costa del Sol.
All
major complaints or cases should be referred to a hospital. The number
for this emergency service is 061. There are hospitals located in
Málaga (Hospital Carlos Haya, Clínico Universitario, Hospital
Materno-Infantil and the Hospital Civil); Vélez-Málaga; on the eastern
coast and Axarquía; Antequera, in the interior of the province; the
Hospital Marítimo de Torremolinos; and the Hospital de Marbella, on the
western coast (Hospital de Marbella has a private and public service).
There are also a large number of private hospitals and clinics which
provide public services by means of agreement.
There
are police stations in all cities and towns of the Costa del Sol where
you can report incidents or ask for help. The national emergency
telephone number for the police is 112.
Apart
from the Servicio de Vigiliancia Aduanera or the Policía Judicial,
there are four other security bodies that you can contact:
Guardia
Civil:
Their main civil duties are to control the traffic on the roads, urban
patrol and the control of guns and explosives. This body is responsible
to the Ministry of Defence and is also under military control. They can
easily be recognised by their green uniforms.
Policía
Nacional:
This is the security body responsible to the Ministry of the Interior.
Their main jurisdiction is that of public safety, criminal
investigation, narcotics, fraud, etc. They wear a dark blue uniform with
a red and yellow badge of the Spanish flag.
Policía
Autonómica:
This a body dependent on the regional administration of Andalucía. It
has less authority than the other bodies and is mainly concerned with
the various legal aspects of the administration, its public buildings
and the environment. They wear the green and white badge of the
Andalusian flag.
Policía
Local:
This is the organisation that operates within local areas and towns,
their duties are mainly centred around road traffic and public disorder
offences. Their uniform is very similar to that of the Policía
Nacional, except without the red and yellow badge.
These
are general definitions, as all four of the above bodies often operate
together. Apart from these official bodies, there are also numerous
security guards from private security companies, however their
responsibilities are minimal and they are prohibited from carrying out
police operations by law.
Also
on the Costa del Sol you have access to the European wide emergency
number 112. This toll free number can be dialled in all kinds of
emergency e.g. security, health or other urgent matters. Spanish,
English, French and German speaking personal operate this
24-hour-service line. We recommend calling 112 for any kind of
emergency.
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