A doctor for your child in Sousse
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.
This guide helps you recognise what can be monitored, what needs a doctor and what is an emergency.
Need a doctor now? Call or WhatsApp 24/7: +216 97 911 911. In a life-threatening emergency, call 190 (SAMU) first, without waiting for a WhatsApp reply.
What can make a child ill on holiday in Sousse
• Gastroenteritis: diarrhoea and vomiting, particularly from infection spread through contaminated hands, food or water.
• Fever and ear, nose and throat infections: tonsillitis, colds and other common infections.
• Swimmer’s ear: ear pain after swimming in a pool or the sea.
• Sunburn and heat-related problems; heatstroke is an emergency.
• Falls by the pool, at a water park or on stairs: bumps, wounds, sprains and fractures.
• Stings and allergies: insects, jellyfish or a reaction to food.
• Conjunctivitis and eye or skin irritation, particularly after swimming.
Many common problems can be managed at the hotel. A medical examination determines whether further tests or hospital admission are needed.
Signs that require urgent help
Your child’s behaviour, breathing, hydration and age matter as much as their temperature. A child who plays and drinks is generally more reassuring than a listless child, but this alone does not rule out a serious problem.
Call 190 (SAMU) immediately
Do not wait for a hotel visit if your child has any of these signs: [1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12]
• They are difficult to wake, do not respond normally, lose consciousness or have a seizure.
• They breathe with difficulty, very rapidly or with effort, or their lips turn blue.
• They have red or purple spots that do not fade under pressure, a stiff neck or severe sensitivity to light.
• Their lips, tongue or throat swell suddenly, especially with breathing difficulty or faintness after food or a sting.
• After a head injury, they have repeated vomiting, unusual drowsiness or a change in behaviour.
• They bleed heavily despite direct pressure, or show signs of heatstroke with confusion, seizure or loss of consciousness.
Medical assessment without delay
Under 3 months, a temperature of 38°C or above requires urgent assessment, usually in hospital: do not wait for a scheduled visit. Between 3 and 6 months, a temperature of 39°C or above also requires urgent medical advice. [1, 2]
• Vomiting that prevents keeping fluids down, blood in the stools, or signs of dehydration: dry mouth, no tears, very infrequent urination, sunken eyes.
• Acute diarrhoea in an infant, especially under 6 months.
• A deep or extensive wound, or inability to move an arm or bear weight on a foot after a fall.
Call coordination on +216 97 911 911 for immediate guidance. If your child worsens or shows a sign of serious distress, call 190. [2, 3, 6]
Request a consultation the same day
• Fever lasts more than 48 hours in a child under 2, more than 3 days in an older child, or returns after going away. [2]
• Diarrhoea lasts more than 2 days or fluid intake decreases; seek help sooner at any sign of dehydration. [3]
• Your child complains of ear or throat pain, or pain when urinating.
• You are worried or their behaviour changes: you know your child.
What to do while waiting for the doctor
These measures apply to a conscious child who can swallow and shows no signs of serious distress. In an emergency, follow SAMU’s instructions.
• Offer drinks regularly. With diarrhoea or vomiting, give a pharmacy oral rehydration solution (ORS) in small, repeated amounts, prepared exactly as directed. Continue breastfeeding. [3]
• Keep your child comfortably dressed in a room that is not overheated. Do not overdress them, undress them completely or give cold baths. [1, 2]
• For fever medicine, ask a doctor or pharmacist and follow the leaflet according to weight and age. Do not combine fever medicines without medical advice; do not give aspirin. Avoid ibuprofen when dehydrated. [1, 3]
• Do not give medicine for diarrhoea or vomiting without medical advice. [3]
• After a fall, do not force the painful limb to move; a cold pack wrapped in a cloth can be applied to a bruised area.
• Note when symptoms began, temperature, drinks, urine and medicines already given.
• Prepare the health or vaccination record, your child’s weight and your insurance certificate. These preparations must not delay calling emergency services.
The doctor’s visit to your hotel
The doctor comes to your room, where your child remains with their parents in a familiar setting, when an on-site consultation is appropriate.
1. Call or WhatsApp +216 97 911 911, or ask reception to call. Give the hotel, room, your child’s age and weight, and what is happening.
2. The coordinating doctor assesses urgency by phone and gives initial advice. They may recommend immediate transfer.
3. The arrival time is confirmed by phone according to your location, traffic, urgency and team availability.
4. The doctor examines your child: temperature, throat, ears, breathing, abdomen and hydration.
5. They propose treatment suited to your child’s age and weight and write a prescription if needed.
6. They provide a medical report for your insurance and explain which signs require another call or emergency assessment.
We visit hotels and residences in Port El Kantaoui, Hammam Sousse, Chott Meriem, Akouda, the seafront and central Sousse. See our medical assistance in Sousse page.
Pharmacy, paediatrician, clinic: further care if needed
• Pharmacy: the prescription specifies locally available products. Reception or our coordination team helps identify the on-duty pharmacy and check opening hours.
• Tests: if an X-ray, laboratory test or paediatric opinion is needed, we arrange referral and transport.
• Hospital admission: the facility is chosen according to your child’s needs, available paediatric expertise and admission capacity. A parent’s presence is arranged according to the unit’s rules.
• Transport: an ambulance is mobilised if your child’s condition requires it.
For an overview covering the country, read our article on paediatric care for tourists in Tunisia.
Travel insurance and the flight home
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not valid in Tunisia. Coverage depends on your travel insurance, assistance contract and, depending on your circumstances, entitlements under your social security scheme or a bilateral agreement. [10, 11]
Give us the insurer’s name and policy number. With your consent, we open the case and send the necessary medical information. Direct settlement of covered costs may be arranged after written confirmation from the insurer and agreement on payment arrangements. Deductibles and costs not covered remain payable by you.
Without direct settlement, you pay for the visit and receive documents to claim reimbursement under the terms of your cover.
See our article on hotel doctors, ambulances and clinics in Sousse and our insurance page.
If your flight home is approaching, tell the doctor about any ear infection, fever or recent immobilisation in a cast. They assess fitness to travel and provide a certificate if needed; the airline’s requirements must also be checked.
A doctor for your child in Sousse, 24/7
Telephone and WhatsApp: +216 97 911 911
Email: contact@911travelassistance.com
In a life-threatening emergency, call SAMU on 190 first. Do not wait for a WhatsApp reply.
This article provides general information and does not replace a medical examination of your child.
Reference sources
Sources consulted on 13 November 2026. Numbered references accompany the relevant advice; emergency numbers have been adapted to Tunisia. 1. NHS - Fièvre chez l’enfant : https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/fever-in-children/
2. Assurance Maladie - Fièvre : que faire et quand consulter ? : https://www.ameli.fr/assure/sante/themes/fievre-enfant/bons-reflexes-cas-faut-consulter
3. Assurance Maladie - Gastro-entérite de l’enfant : https://www.ameli.fr/assure/sante/themes/gastro-enterite-enfant/que-faire-quand-consulter
4. NHS - Traumatisme crânien : https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-injury-and-concussion/
5. NHS - Anaphylaxie : https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/anaphylaxis/
6. Assurance Maladie - Plaies et saignements : https://www.ameli.fr/node/1262
7. NHS - Épuisement lié à la chaleur et coup de chaleur : https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heat-exhaustion-heatstroke/
8. NHS - Diarrhée, vomissements et reprise de la piscine : https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/diarrhoea-and-vomiting/
9. CDC - Prévention des maladies liées à la baignade : https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/prevention/index.html
10. Service-Public - Carte européenne d’assurance maladie : https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F34441
11. CLEISS - Couverture maladie lors de vacances en Tunisie : https://www.cleiss.fr/particuliers/partir/vacances/tunisie.html
12. France Diplomatie - Tunisie : contacts utiles, SAMU 190 : https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/tunisie/conseils-aux-voyageurs-contacts-utiles