Ambulance in Gabès

Mohamed Ben Sassi University Hospital, a frequent starting point

Mohamed Ben Sassi University Hospital is the main public healthcare facility in Gabès. It serves the city as well as the whole governorate, from El Hamma to Mareth.

Journeys linked to this hospital usually fall into one of these cases:

• a patient being discharged and going home, in Gabès or in a neighbouring delegation;
• a transfer to a specialist department in Sfax, the Sahel or Tunis;
• the admission of a patient referred by another facility.

Give us the exact department, the discharge or admission time and the name of a person who can be reached on site. If you know which entrance or building the crew should go to, mention that too: it makes the patient easier to find.

El Hamma and Mareth: the governorate's local hospitals

Outside the regional capital, care close to home relies on local hospitals. The one in El Hamma lies some thirty kilometres to the west, on the road to Kebili; the one in Mareth lies some forty kilometres to the south, on the Medenine road. When a patient admitted to one of these facilities has to reach Gabès or a city further away, the transport is prepared together with the ward team: the patient's position, the equipment needed and the documents to be handed over.

El Hamma is also known for its hot springs. For the return journey of someone taking a spa cure, give the exact address: thermal establishment, hotel or private home.

Gabès-Matmata, Djerba-Zarzis, Sfax-Thyna: which airport?

Gabès-Matmata International Airport lies about 25 km south-west of the city centre, roughly half an hour by road. Flights there are rare, however, and to date it has no scheduled passenger service: check that a flight really is planned there before arranging a transfer.

For a patient returning from abroad or due to fly out, the usual choice is rather:

• Djerba-Zarzis Airport, about 2 h 30 to 3 h by road depending on the route;
• Sfax-Thyna Airport, about 1 h 45 by road via the motorway;
• Monastir Habib Bourguiba or Tunis-Carthage, with more flights but further away.

Send us the flight number, the landing or check-in time and the contact details of the assistance company, if one is involved.

Usual road times from Gabès

The A1 motorway links Tunis to Gabès and, since 2023, continues to Medenine and Ras Jedir; the city is also crossed by the RN1, RN15 and RN16 national roads. Indicative durations, not counting stops or traffic delays:

• Medenine: about 75 km, roughly 1 h by road;
• Tataouine: about 125 km, roughly 2 h by road;
• Sfax: about 140 km, roughly 2 h by road;
• Sousse: about 260 km, roughly 3 h 15 by road;
• Monastir: about 3 h 15 to 3 h 30 by road;
• Tunis: about 400 km, roughly 4 h 30 to 5 h by road.

With a patient lying down, allow extra time for breaks along the way. Tell us the time of the appointment at the destination: the departure from Gabès is set accordingly.

Getting around Gabès: oasis, old quarters, industrial zone

The city has access constraints of its own. In the old quarters of Jara and Menzel, some lanes barely let an ambulance through. In the oasis, at Chenini Nahal in particular, some homes can only be reached by narrow tracks running between palm trees and gardens. To the north, the industrial and port zone shared with Ghannouch carries a great deal of heavy goods traffic.

So that the crew finds the address first time:

• give a visible landmark: a mosque, a school, a pharmacy;
• say whether the street can be driven right up to the door;
• arrange for someone to guide the ambulance over the last few metres;
• mention the floor, whether there is a lift and how wide the staircase is.

Towards Matmata and Djerba: routes that call for forward planning

To the south-west, the Matmata road climbs into the Matmata hills, with their many bends and troglodyte villages. Some homes there can only be reached on foot: mention this as soon as you make the request, so that the crew brings suitable carrying equipment.

Towards Djerba, there are two routes. The first heads for the port of Jorf, where the ferry crosses to Ajim: it is shorter, but the wait to board can grow longer in summer, at the height of the tourist season. The second takes the Zarzis road and then the Roman causeway at El Kantara, with no crossing at all. The choice depends on the patient's condition, the time of day and the address on the island: tourist zone, Houmt Souk or Midoun.

Arranging transport to or from Gabès

Contact EMS by phone or WhatsApp with the pick-up address, the destination, the date, the time by which the patient must arrive and their position: seated, in a wheelchair or lying down. A dedicated coordinator calls you back less than 10 minutes after your request to check access, equipment and the level of support needed. You then receive a quote; nothing is booked until you confirm.

Based in Monastir, the EMS team works regularly in Gabès and in the delegations of the governorate, by day as well as by night.

In a life-threatening emergency, call the SAMU (190) first: EMS is a private service and does not replace the public emergency services.