2008-07-09 09:30:10 -

Olympic Games 2008 in Beijing---for a number of people surely a reason to pay a visit to the Chinese capital. But what to do if some unpredicted accident happens during the trip?
"If an emergency situation occurs, the best way is to ask a Chinese to call for help," says Dr. G. Lindenblatt. "Opposite to the ticket hotline of the Olympics,

the emergency services in Beijing usually cannot speak English."
The medical physicist who works in China says: "Both 911 and the international emergency call 112 do not work. 112 could be used even without SIM card inserted to your mobile phone. But in the People's Republic of China, you will listen to a tape, telling you that you have to call 110 for police, 119 for fire fighters, or 120 for medical help. This tape is in Chinese only, of course."
"If an emergency occurs, and there is no Chinese speaking person who can help you, try to call the police. Via mobile phone using a foreign SIM card, you will have to call +8610110, since 86 is the country code, and 10 is the area code for Beijing. Slowly say 'English' until you get connected to an English speaking operator." Other emergency services most often do not speak English at all. "How long it takes until help arrives is difficult to say. The best help is to help oneself: Try to take a taxi to the next hospital. Ambulances frequently got stuck in the traffic jam and may need more than half an hour to arrive. A list of international hospitals in Beijing can be found at the web-site www.sedamo.info, menu 'sedamo.documents'. This list should be in your luggage as well as the usual medicine against diarrhoea, constipation, headache, and sunburn. Your local pharmacist can help you here."