Picture this: you’re on a pristine beach in the Seychelles, watching the sun set over granite boulders and turquoise water. Life feels like a perfect postcard. But then, you get a severe sunburn, a coral cut becomes infected, or your child spikes a fever. The postcard fades, and a practical question takes over: “Where do we go for help?”
The Seychelles is a small island nation of about 100,000 people scattered across 115 islands. Its healthcare system is designed first and foremost for its citizens. For expatriates, long-term retirees, sailors, and even those on extended work permits, this means understanding a system that is functional for basic and emergency care, but has very clear—and serious—limitations.
This guide is for the clear-eyed realist who chooses to live in or spend significant time in paradise. We won’t talk about world-class specialty hospitals, because they don’t exist here. Instead, we’ll map out the reality of hospitals in Seychelles: what the main hospital can handle, when you must look beyond these islands, and the non-negotiable preparations you must make to ensure your safety and health.
The Island Reality: A Centralized System with Geographic Constraints
Healthcare in Seychelles is heavily centralized. The vast majority of services are concentrated on the main island of Mahé. The hub is the Seychelles Hospital (formerly Victoria Hospital) in the capital, Victoria. It is a public hospital that acts as the national referral center. There are smaller district clinics on Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue, but they have limited capabilities.
The system’s strength is in managing public health—vaccination rates are high, and there is good maternal and child care. For expatriates, the care for common tropical ailments (like dengue) or minor injuries can be adequate at the public hospital or private clinics. However, the Seychelles does not have specialists for complex cardiology, neurology, oncology, or advanced surgery. There is no MRI machine in the country. The nearest CT scanner is at the private ADEMIR Clinic on Mahé.
For anything beyond intermediate care, the established protocol is medical evacuation (medevac) to a country with advanced medical facilities. This is not a rare event; it is a standard part of the healthcare calculus for anyone living here.
An Expatriate’s Perspective: David, a marine conservationist who has lived on Mahé for eight years, explains: “You learn the rules quickly. For a broken bone or stitches, you go to Seychelles Hospital. The doctors are competent. For anything that feels serious—chest pain, a bad head injury, a complicated infection—your first call is to your medevac insurance, not the hospital. I’ve had two colleagues evacuated to Mauritius and South Africa in the past three years. The local system is for stabilization only. Your insurance and your emergency plan are what actually protect you.”
Navigating the System: Public Hospital, Private Clinics, and the Lifeline Out
Knowing where to go—and when not to go—is critical.
- The National Public Hospital:
- Seychelles Hospital (Victoria Hospital): Located in Mont Fleuri, Victoria. This is the main public acute care hospital. It has an emergency department, surgical suites, inpatient wards, maternity, and pediatrics. It is the highest level of care available within the country. It is functional but can be crowded and resources are basic.
- Private Medical Services:
- ADEMIR Clinic: Located at Anse Royale, Mahé. This is the only private inpatient facility and the only one with a CT scanner. It is used by expats and those with private insurance for more comfortable care and some elective procedures. It is not a full-service tertiary hospital.
- Private GPs and Specialists: A small number of private doctors and dentists practice in Victoria and on Praslin. They are good for consultations, prescriptions, and basic care.
- Health Centres: Located on all three main islands (Mahé, Praslin, La Digue) and some outer islands. They provide very basic primary care, immunizations, and antenatal checks. They refer anything serious to Seychelles Hospital.
- The Absolute Imperative: Medical Evacuation: For serious conditions (major trauma, heart attack, stroke, complex abdominal emergencies, advanced cancer care), the standard of care is air ambulance transfer. The nearest appropriate destinations are Mauritius, Réunion (France), South Africa, or India. Evacuation by air ambulance can take several hours to organize and is extremely expensive without insurance.
A Straightforward Overview of Medical Facilities
| Facility Name | Location | Type | Realistic Capabilities | Critical Notes for Foreigners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seychelles Hospital (Public) | Mont Fleuri, Mahé | Public National Hospital | Emergency stabilization, basic surgery, fracture setting, maternity, treatment of infections (dengue, etc). | The main hospital. Manages serious cases pre-evacuation. Basic standards. |
| ADEMIR Private Clinic | Anse Royale, Mahé | Private Clinic/Hospital | Elective surgery, specialist consultations, CT scanner, more comfortable inpatient rooms. | The top private option. Not a substitute for a full tertiary hospital. |
| Baie Ste Anne Praslin Hospital | Praslin | Public District Hospital | Basic emergency care, maternity, minor inpatient. | Limited. Serious cases transferred to Mahé by boat/air. |
| Private GP/Dental Clinics | Victoria (Mahé), Praslin | Private Practice | Routine doctor visits, dental fillings/extractions, prescriptions. | Good for day-to-day primary care. |
| Health Centres | Across all islands | Public Primary Care | Basic first aid, vaccinations, wound dressing. | For very minor issues only. |
What Can Be Treated Locally? (A Short, Practical List)
You can reasonably use local facilities only for:
- Treatment of Tropical Diseases: Diagnosis and treatment of dengue fever, which is endemic and a frequent cause of hospitalization.
- Minor Injuries & Infections: Stitching cuts, treating coral cuts, simple fractures, uncomplicated skin or urinary infections.
- Basic Primary Care & Prescriptions: For stable chronic conditions, only if you have an ample personal supply of medication.
- Routine Dental Work: Basic fillings and extractions.
- Uncomplicated Pregnancy & Delivery: For low-risk cases. High-risk pregnancies require planning for delivery abroad.
Your Non-Negotiable Health Preparedness Protocol for Seychelles
If you are moving to or spending significant time in Seychelles, this checklist is not advice—it is your operational manual.
- Secure Ultra-Comprehensive Medical Evacuation Insurance: This is your single most important task. You need a policy from a top-tier international provider (e.g., International SOS, Allianz Global Assistance, GeoBlue) that guarantees emergency medical evacuation from Seychelles to a facility in South Africa, Mauritius, or Europe. Coverage limits should be minimum $500,000 USD. Confirm they have executed evacuations from the Indian Ocean before. Carry the physical card and 24/7 emergency number on your person at all times.
- Assemble a Comprehensive Travel Medical Kit: Assume you are your own primary care provider for most issues. Your kit must include:
- A broad-spectrum antibiotic (e.g., Augmentin, Azithromycin).
- A strong antibiotic for travelers’ diarrhea (e.g., Ciprofloxacin).
- A full course of anti-malarial prophylaxis (if traveling to outer islands, though risk is low).
- Strong painkillers and anti-inflammatories.
- Sterile suture/surgical kit, hemostatic gauze, wound closure strips.
- IV rehydration salts.
- A full supply of all personal prescription medications for your entire stay, plus a 50-100% buffer. Medications are not reliably available.
- Get Extensive Pre-Travel Medical Advice: Visit a travel medicine clinic. Essential vaccinations: Routine (MMR, Tdap) plus Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid. Discuss rabies pre-exposure vaccination if you’ll be around animals or in remote areas.
- Establish Your Local Contacts Immediately:
- Identify the nearest Health Centre and the ADEMIR Clinic contact info.
- Locate the best-stocked pharmacy in Victoria (e.g., Victoria Pharmacy).
- Register with your home country’s embassy or consulate in Victoria upon arrival.
- Memorize Your Emergency Activation Plan:
- In any potentially serious medical situation, call your medevac insurance provider FIRST. They will coordinate your care and evacuation from the first moment.
- Know the location of Seychelles Hospital only as the place for initial stabilization under their guidance.
- General emergency number: 999.
- Plan for All Elective and Specialist Care Abroad: Any need for a specialist consultation, advanced imaging (MRI), or non-urgent surgery (e.g., knee replacement, cataract) must be planned as a trip to Mauritius, South Africa, or your home country. This is a standard part of life for long-term residents.
The Vital Role of Expatriate and Local Networks
In a small, isolated community, word-of-mouth is your most reliable source of information. Which GP at ADEMIR is best for children? How do you actually get a referral to see a specialist in Mauritius? What is the process for getting a prescription filled when the pharmacy is out of stock?
This practical, ground-level intelligence is shared within the small but tight-knit expatriate and long-term resident community.
On MyHospitalNow, our forum for hospitals in Seychelles serves as a crucial digital meeting point for this specific exchange.
From a Retired Couple Living on Praslin: “Before we retired here, we thought we’d done all our homework. The biggest gap was the day-to-day healthcare logistics. Through the MyHospitalNow forum, we connected with other retirees. They gave us the real advice: which local doctor on Praslin to trust for repeat prescriptions, how to navigate the referral system for my husband’s cardiology check-up in Mauritius, and the importance of bringing a year’s supply of every pill. That shared knowledge from people living the life has been our most valuable resource.” – Susan and John, Retirees
If you are considering a long-term stay in Seychelles, connecting with this community can provide insights that are simply not available from official sources.
We host these essential discussions here: MyHospitalNow’s Hospitals in Seychelles Community.
Final Word: Paradise Requires Profound Personal Responsibility
Choosing to make the Seychelles your home or long-term base is a dream realized. Part of honoring that dream is accepting the profound responsibility for your own health that comes with living in a remote small island developing state.
Your health strategy must be one of radical self-sufficiency, backed by a financial and logistical safety net capable of lifting you out of the archipelago in a medical crisis. With world-class medevac insurance, a comprehensive medical kit, and a clear, practiced emergency plan, you can enjoy the unmatched beauty of the Seychelles with a foundation of genuine security.