Medical support for senior travellers
Written and medically reviewed by Dr Sami Ben Moumen, emergency physician and general practitioner, former public-sector emergency department and SMUR physician, Medical Director of 911 Travel Assistance.
Our service supports European senior tourists travelling as a couple, with family or alone, for a few days or several weeks. Doctor, ambulance, clinic and contact with your insurer: coordination remains centralised.
Need a doctor? Call or WhatsApp +216 97 911 911, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In a life-threatening emergency, call 190 (SAMU) first, without waiting for a WhatsApp reply. [1]
A hotel doctor in Sousse, Port El Kantaoui and Hammam Sousse
The doctor visits hotels, residences and rented apartments in Port El Kantaoui, Hammam Sousse, Akouda, Chott Meriem, the seafront and central Sousse when the patient’s condition allows an on-site consultation.
Fever, digestive problems, persistent pain, a treatment issue or concern after a fall: the coordinating doctor assesses the situation by phone and decides on the appropriate next step. Mention known illnesses, allergies and medicines, particularly anticoagulants.
In an older person, drinking less, unusual tiredness or urinating less often can suggest dehydration even without marked thirst. Seek medical advice promptly; new confusion requires urgent assessment. [2]
See our medical assistance in Sousse page.
When should you call SAMU on 190 directly?
Do not wait for a scheduled visit if any of these signs appear: [1, 3, 4]
• sudden, persistent chest pain, particularly with sweating, faintness or breathlessness;
• severe breathing difficulty, blue lips, loss of consciousness or failure to respond normally;
• sudden facial drooping, weakness in an arm or difficulty speaking, even if the signs disappear.
Call 190, give the hotel and room, then follow the dispatcher’s instructions. Do not delay urgent care to find a certificate or obtain insurance approval.
How does a senior tourist’s consultation work?
1. Call +216 97 911 911, or ask reception to call. Give the exact location, the patient’s age, symptoms and when they began.
2. The coordinator explains the appropriate response, expected arrival time and fee before the doctor travels.
3. The doctor examines the patient and considers their medical history and treatments. They decide on on-site care, tests or transfer.
4. A medical report and supporting documents are prepared for insurance. If needed, we arrange further care and liaise with the regular doctor or a relative, with the patient’s consent.
The team can communicate in French, English, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech and Arabic. State your preferred language at first contact.
Travel insurance: which care is covered?
Depending on your policy and the insurer’s agreement, cover may include an unplanned consultation, tests, ambulance transport, hospital admission or medically justified repatriation. Planned care and routine monitoring of a chronic condition are not automatically covered. [5]
For a senior traveller, check who is insured, any age conditions, maximum trip duration, limits, deductibles and rules on pre-existing conditions. A known condition may be subject to exclusions or specific requirements: have its coverage confirmed before departure. [11]
The European Health Insurance Card does not apply in Tunisia. You may nevertheless have rights under your scheme or a bilateral agreement: ask your health insurance body before departure. [6, 7]
Carte Bleue, Visa or Mastercard: check insurance and assistance
Your bank card may include useful cover, but the words “Carte Bleue”, Visa or Mastercard alone do not establish what is covered. The issuing bank, country of issue, card tier and policy wording determine the conditions.
Distinguish insurance, which compensates for events specified in the policy, from assistance, which may arrange medical help or repatriation. Some insurance benefits require the trip to have been paid for with the card; assistance may have different conditions. Visa France states, for example, that its assistance may be available with a valid card even if the trip was not paid for with it, subject to the applicable policy wording. This must not be generalised to all European cards. [8, 9]
Keep the assistance number from your policy or the back of the card. For non-urgent services, contact the assistance provider before incurring expenses requiring its approval. A medical emergency must be treated without waiting for paperwork. [1, 8]
911 Travel Assistance coordinates your case with the insurer
1. Give us the name of the insurer or card assistance provider and the relevant policy details.
2. With your consent, we open the case and send the necessary medical information.
3. We request confirmation of cover and, where applicable, a guarantee of payment.
4. If direct settlement is accepted and arrangements agreed, you do not advance the costs covered in that way. Deductibles, amounts above limits and excluded services remain payable by you.
If direct payment is not possible, you pay for the service and receive supporting documents to request reimbursement under your policy. The insurer decides coverage. See our insurance and medical coverage page.
Ambulance, clinic and return to your country
If hotel care is insufficient, we arrange appropriate transport to a facility in Sousse. The destination depends on medical needs and admission capacity, in coordination with the assistance provider when involved.
If repatriation is indicated, the organising doctors determine travel conditions with the assistance provider and airline. Departure may be coordinated from Monastir or Enfidha-Hammamet, with a medical escort or air ambulance according to need and availability.
Read our articles on private ambulances in Sousse and medical repatriation from Sousse.
Documents to keep within reach
• Passport, travel dates, hotel name and room number.
• Recent prescription, medicine names and usual doses, allergies and relevant reports.
• Travel insurance certificate, policy number and assistance telephone number.
• For bank card cover: issuing bank, card type, policy wording and proof of trip payment if requested by the insurer.
• Contact details for a relative and your regular doctor.
For an extended stay, check that cover remains valid until your return. Medicines should travel in their original packaging with the prescription; check Tunisia’s applicable entry rules. [8, 10]
A doctor for a senior in Sousse or Port El Kantaoui
Telephone and WhatsApp, 24/7: +216 97 911 911.
Email: contact@911travelassistance.com.
In a life-threatening emergency, call 190 (SAMU) first.
This article provides general information. It does not replace a medical assessment or the terms of your insurance policy.
References
Sources consulted on 13 November 2026. Emergency numbers have been adapted to Tunisia.
1. France Diplomatie - Tunisie : contacts utiles, SAMU 190 : https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/tunisie/conseils-aux-voyageurs-contacts-utiles
2. Assurance Maladie - Déshydratation : https://www.ameli.fr/assure/sante/urgence/pathologies/deshydratation
3. Assurance Maladie - AVC : que faire ? : https://www.ameli.fr/assure/sante/urgence/pathologies/avc
4. NHS - Heart attack : https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heart-attack/
5. Service-Public - Vacances à l’étranger : comment être bien assuré ? : https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2169
6. Commission européenne - Carte européenne d’assurance maladie : https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/moving-working-europe/eu-social-security-coordination/european-health-insurance-card_en
7. CLEISS - Couverture maladie pendant les vacances en Tunisie : https://www.cleiss.fr/particuliers/partir/vacances/tunisie.html
8. Visa France - Questions sur l’assurance et l’assistance en voyage : https://www.visa.fr/services-en-ligne/faq/en-voyage.html
9. Les Clés de la Banque - Assurance voyage : quelles garanties ? : https://www.lesclesdelabanque.com/particulier/assurance-voyage/
10. France Diplomatie - Tunisie : santé et préparation du voyage : https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/tunisie/conseils-aux-voyageurs-sante
11. Allianz Travel - Assistance aux voyageurs et maladies antérieures : https://www.fr.luko.eu/aide/voyage/assistance-voyageurs/