Emergency medical services and on-duty pharmacies in Ashkelon: where to turn after hours

If medical attention is needed outside a family doctor's hours, but the situation isn't critical, it's worth checking your health fund's (kupat holim) after-hours services — most major funds run a phone service or urgent-care clinic open evenings and weekends. Ashkelon's on-duty pharmacy list is published on a dedicated municipality page — the schedule rotates, with a different pharmacy on duty each day.

In a genuine emergency — a life-threatening situation — call 101 (Magen David Adom) at any hour, with no appointment needed. Current MDA contacts and station information are available on the official mdais.org website.

How to tell whether it's actually an emergency

• Life-threatening situation — call 101 (MADA) immediately, no appointment needed
• Not critical, but the clinic is already closed — your health fund's phone line or urgent-care clinic
• Need medication outside regular pharmacy hours — check the on-duty pharmacy on the municipality's website

Ashkelon's on-duty pharmacy schedule changes day to day — a specific pharmacy is assigned duty for a given date, so check the current list for the exact day rather than relying on which pharmacy was on duty last time. Most major health funds run a separate phone line or urgent-care clinic open evenings and weekends — that's the first step for a non-critical but time-sensitive problem.