Health Issues
Here you’ll find the emergency protocols at Uniandes, depending on your status, so you can stay informed about all the services available to you.
Medical Emergencies
On-Campus Emergencies: If you or someone around you needs urgent medical attention
- Call ext. 0000 from any campus phone
- Contact the Uniandes Healthcare Center
- Reach out to Emergency Brigade Members
- Contact Campus Security Personnel
Emergency personnel will assess the situation, provide initial care, and arrange transportation to a hospital if necessary.
Hospitals in Bogotá
- Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá
- Hospital Universitario San Ignacio
- Clínica del Country
- Clínica Marly
- Los Cobos Medical Center
- Clínica La Colina
- Clínica Palermo
- Hospital Universitario Nacional de Colombia
These hospitals provide emergency services and can be visited directly when immediate medical attention is required.
Primary Care vs Emergency Care
Primary Care
▹ Minor illnesses
▹ Routine consultations
▹ Prescription renewals
▹ Follow-up appointments
Emergency Care
▹ Severe injuries
▹ Difficulty breathing
▹ Heavy bleeding
▹ Loss of consciousness
▹ Serious allergic reactions
National Emergency Numbers
- 112 – Police
- 122 – National Prosecutor's Office
- 132 – Colombian Red Cross
- 119 – Fire Department
- 144 – Civil Defense
- 155 – Gender-Based Violence Support
- 164 – Gas Emergencies
Public Services
- 115 – Electricity Emergencies
- 116 – Water & Sewage Emergencies
- #767 – Traffic Police
Uniandes Emergency Contacts
- +57 601 339 4949, ext. 0000
- [email protected]
Exchange Students - For emergencies involving exchange students, contact:
- +57 601 339 4949, ext. 0000
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
Uniandes is committed to the well-being of its entire community. To support this, the center provides the following services and care options:
▹ Clinic psychology
▹ Dentistry
▹ General medicine
▹ Sports medicine
The main offices are located in the Franco Building, while sports medicine appointments are held at the Sports Center. You can also schedule your appointments through Bookeau.
Disclaimer: The goal of this service is to establish the set of procedures and the involvement of the University's units for the initial care and management of any person on campus experiencing a medical emergency (students, professors, administrative staff, contractors, alumni, the Fenicia community, and visitors to the University). The University's Healthcare Center offers its services as a first-level health institution with a different social purpose (OSD), according to the authorization granted by the District Secretariat of Health. This includes outpatient care, general medical consultations, sports medicine, psychology, dental care, and essential medications, serving as the entry to the General System of Social Security in Health.
Medical emergencies on campus are situations that require immediate medical attention due to a potential or serious risk to health. In contrast, urgencies require prompt attention but are not life-threatening.
I. Medical emergency: Conditions that affect cardiac, respiratory, or neurologic systems.
II. Mental emergency: Conditions like suicide attempts or thoughts, psychosis, intoxication for drugs, panic attack, among others.
III. Odontology emergency: Conditions like dental avulsion, abscess, serious injuries, uncontrollable bleeding, dental fracture, mandibular dislocation, among others.
Uniandes applies the triage methodology to determine the priority level of medical attention. The scale ranges from 1 to 5, where 1 indicates the most critical cases requiring immediate attention (0 minutes waiting time), and 5 represents non-urgent cases with an approximate waiting time of 2 hours.
I. Report the situation in the Uniandes Healthcare Center’s reception if possible or via the emergency options mentioned above.
II. Respond to the triage classification.
III. Wait until the medical attention.
IV. Attend the medical instructions
V. Medical follow-up will be carried out during the next 24 hours.
The Medical Healthcare Center works closely with DECA’s Support Center. Depending on the urgency of the situation, you may be seen at the DECA building, or support staff may come to your location. Situations considered include the following:
▹ Risk of life
▹ Uncontrollable crying
▹ Irascible behaviors
▹ Violence
▹ Mutism
▹ Isolation
These services target changes depending on location:
▹ On campus: Students, professors, administrative staff, contractors, alumni, and visitors are the target.
▹ On remote: Students, professors, and administrative staff.
Faculty, students and staff can book a medical appointment for non-emergency situation through Bookeau.
Uniandes is committed to supporting your overall well-being, including sexual health and consent. The Healthcare Centre offers medical appointments for sexual health counseling, including contraception, risk prevention, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
These services correspond to first-level complexity according to the Municipality’s Health Office. This means outpatient care, general medical consultation, sports medicine, psychology, dental care, and essential medications as an entry-level to more complex medical procedures. The audiences for these services change according to their location:
▹ On campus: Students, professors, administrative staff, alumni, Fenicia community, and visitors.
▹ On remote: Students, professors, and administrative staff.
Due to Bogotá’s altitude, about 2,600 meters above sea level, you may experience soroche or altitude sickness upon arrival. This is the body’s natural response to lower oxygen pressure.
Common symptoms include headache, nausea, fatigue, insomnia, and loss of appetite. To adapt more quickly, stay well hydrated, avoid alcohol, take frequent breaks, and start with light physical activity until your body adjusts.
Before coming to Colombia, you must have health insurance that provides coverage throughout the country. Several companies offer these services. Assist Card and Allianz are among the most popular. Make sure to review the coverage details and requirements before traveling. It’s important to remark that all companies usually don’t cover pre-existing health issues so the coverage abroad would be limited to emergency cases.
That is why you should pay much attention on the terms and conditions of your international health insurance and be aware of the emergency procedures and attention network before traveling. Uniandes offers an insurance for students.
For more information send an email to:
- [email protected] for traditional medicine
- [email protected] in case of mental health concerns
You can also reach the Medical Services by calling to the following phone extensions:
- 3303 for regular attention in the Franco building
- 5126 for sports medicine in the Sports Center
Keep in Mind
The information provided in this section is for informational purposes only. It does not represent an official position of Universidad de los Andes, nor does it imply any institutional commitment. The content shared here does not seek to promote or endorse any public or private organization. For instance, the Healthcare Center offers the same services to students, professors, and visitors.
Keep This Page Alive
Found something that needs updating? Have a suggestion to share? Please let us know so we can keep this page accurate, useful, and up to date. We value your feedback and appreciate any recommendations that help improve the information and overall experience for future visitors.