Should you need to go to hospital during your time here, your doctor will arrange a bed for you and find a specialist on that hospital staff to attend to your problem. Of course, none of this holds true in the event of an emergency trip to the hospital, when you get admitted without previous notice. According to the specific health plan you’re in, you can find yourself in anything from a one to four-bed room. As mistakes regarding assignments do sometimes occur, it’s best to clarify as many of these matters as possible before you enter the hospital. Note that most hospitals do not automatically provide gowns, towels or toilet articles for their patients.

You’ll probably wind up spending a longer time in hospital here than you would back home. This extended stay is a result of a combination of Germans’ insistence on providing top medical service and the desire to make more money out of each patient – particularly since it’s often the insurance company and not the patients themselves paying.

(Foto: AOK-Mediendienst)