What do I do in a medical emergency in Morocco?

First, the numbers, because in a crisis you want them instantly and not buried in a search: in Morocco the ambulance number is 150, SAMU (the urgent medical service) is 15, and the police are 190 (or 177 for the gendarmerie out in rural areas and on highways). I tell every traveller to save these in their phone and, just as importantly, write them on a card in their wallet, because phones die and a stranger helping you may need to read the number aloud.

Now the honest practical reality. Ambulance response in Morocco can be slow and uneven, especially outside the big cities, and the public ambulance that arrives may take you to a busy public hospital rather than a private clinic. So in an urban setting, if someone is conscious and the situation allows, getting a taxi or your hotel to drive you straight to a known private clinic is frequently the faster, better route to good care. Your riad or hotel reception is a brilliant ally here — they speak the language, know the nearest good clinic, and can call ahead.

Call your travel insurer's emergency assistance line as early as you possibly can — ideally before or alongside seeking treatment. A good insurer will guide you to an approved facility, arrange direct billing so you're not paying huge sums upfront, organise translation, and in a serious case coordinate medical evacuation. This is the whole reason I'm so insistent about proper insurance: in an emergency it's not just money, it's a calm voice telling you exactly what to do.

Prepare the boring things in advance so the frightening moment is easier. Keep your insurance policy number and assistance phone line saved offline, note the nearest reputable hospital or clinic to wherever you're staying (I do this for every stop on an itinerary), carry a card listing your allergies, medications, blood type and an emergency contact, and know that in remote areas help is genuinely hours away — which is reason enough to choose reputable operators who carry first-aid kits and have evacuation plans. And of course, none of this is a substitute for professional medical care: get to a doctor.