In a life-threatening emergency, call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately. Do not wait for a home visit, and do not spend time searching for alternatives. This article explains how to tell an emergency from an urgent-but-manageable problem, what to do in the first few minutes while help is coming, and where home-based care genuinely fits — which is after the emergency question has been settled, not instead of it.

Call 112 first for any of these

These require emergency services, not a home visit:

  • Chest pain or pressure, especially with sweating, nausea, breathlessness, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw.
  • Signs of stroke. Remember FAST — Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call immediately. Stroke treatment is time-critical.
  • Severe difficulty breathing, or inability to speak in full sentences.
  • Heavy bleeding that does not stop with firm pressure.
  • Unresponsiveness, or a level of consciousness that is deteriorating.
  • A seizure that lasts more than five minutes, or repeated seizures without recovery in between.
  • Severe allergic reaction — swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing after a sting, food or medication.
  • Serious injury — a major fall, a road traffic collision, a suspected fracture with deformity, or a head injury with vomiting or confusion.
  • In pregnancy — heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, fits, or severe headache with visual disturbance.

What to do while help is on the way

  • Stay with the person and keep them calm. Do not leave them alone.
  • Bleeding — press firmly and continuously on the wound with a clean cloth. Do not keep lifting it to check.
  • Unresponsive but breathing — place them on their side in the recovery position so the airway stays clear.
  • Seizure — move hard objects away, cushion the head, and do not put anything in the mouth or restrain them.
  • Suspected stroke or chest pain — keep them sitting still and comfortable. Note the time symptoms started; it directly affects treatment options.
  • Gather what the hospital will need — medication list, known conditions, allergies and any recent results.

Give first aid only within the limits of your training. Doing nothing harmful is better than attempting something you are unsure of.

Urgent, but not an emergency

A great many problems are genuinely urgent yet safely managed at home, and these are where a home visit or an online consultation fits: fever, suspected malaria or typhoid, vomiting and diarrhoea without severe dehydration, minor injuries, urinary symptoms, routine blood-pressure or diabetes review, childhood illnesses without red-flag features, and medication problems.

The distinction is not the level of discomfort but the level of risk. If you are unsure, treat it as an emergency and call 112. Being wrong in that direction costs you an ambulance call; being wrong in the other direction can cost far more.

Prepare before you need it

  1. Save 112 in every family phone, and make sure domestic staff and older children know to use it.
  2. Write down your address clearly — including landmarks. Ambulance delay in Abuja is often a navigation problem, not a dispatch one.
  3. Keep a current medication list for every household member, including doses and allergies.
  4. Know your nearest emergency department and the realistic route there at different times of day.
  5. Keep recent results and discharge summaries together, physically or on your phone.

Where Doc2Go fits — and where it does not

Doc2Go provides urgent but non-emergency care. We are not an emergency service and we do not replace one. What we can do is attend at home for the large category of urgent problems that do not require an emergency department, coordinate ambulance transport where it is needed, and take over follow-up after a hospital attendance so that recovery is managed properly.

If you are reading this during an emergency, stop and call 112.

Frequently asked questions

What number do I call in a medical emergency in Nigeria?

Call 112, the national emergency number, or go directly to the nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a home visit in a life-threatening emergency.

How do I know if it is a real emergency?

Treat chest pain, stroke signs (face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty), severe breathing difficulty, heavy bleeding that will not stop, unresponsiveness, prolonged or repeated seizures, severe allergic reactions, serious injury, and pregnancy warning signs as emergencies. If you are unsure, treat it as an emergency and call 112.

What should I do while waiting for the ambulance?

Stay with the person, press firmly on any bleeding, place an unresponsive but breathing person on their side, protect someone having a seizure without restraining them or putting anything in their mouth, and note the time symptoms began. Gather their medication list, conditions and allergies for the hospital.

Which problems can be treated at home instead?

Fever, suspected malaria or typhoid, vomiting and diarrhoea without severe dehydration, minor injuries, urinary symptoms, blood-pressure and diabetes reviews, childhood illnesses without red-flag features, and medication problems are usually safe to manage at home.

Is Doc2Go an emergency service?

No. Doc2Go provides urgent but non-emergency care and does not replace emergency services. We can attend at home for urgent non-emergency problems, coordinate ambulance transport where needed, and manage follow-up after a hospital attendance.