Puentes Emergency Guide for Montevideo

Emergency number: 911 (police, firefighters, ambulance)

Emergency Contacts 24/7

Agustín Méndez Posadas (Program Assistant)
Cell/WhatsApp: +54 9 11 3628 5039
agus@puentesabroad.com

The Puentes team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in case of an emergency.
Please save these emergency contacts in your phone and give them to a parent or guardian.

Puentes Emergency Procedures

The safety and wellbeing of our participants is Puentes’ highest priority; we are here to help you in any situation during your program.  The below is meant to identify what a true emergency is and to explain the procedure if you find yourself in an emergency situation.

What is an emergency?

An emergency is any circumstance that poses a genuine risk to or that has already disturbed the safety and wellbeing of participants that requires immediate attention. 

To help give you a clearer idea of what this means, the following are examples of emergencies:

• Criminal assault

• Sexual assault or rape

• Serious illness, physical, or emotional injury

• Hospitalization for any reason

• Arrest, incarceration, or deportation

• Terrorist threat or attack

• Local political crisis

• Natural disasters

How do I file a police report?

If you need to file a police report, find your closest “seccional” or police station here. Tell the police offer, “Quiero hacer una denuncia,” to let them know that you would like to file a police report, and then they will walk you through the steps. Keep in mind that some insurance companies will require that a police report was filed within 24 hours of the theft of an item in order for a reimbursement to be considered.

In the unlikely event that you experience an armed robbery or assault of any kind, you must tell the Puentes team immediately so that we can help to support you and so that we can notify your university of the incident. You will not be in trouble — rather, this is a safety protocol that universities and the Puentes team are required to follow.

If you are ever in doubt about whether a situation is an emergency or not, err on the side of caution and call the Puentes emergency contact.

Hospitals (“Hospitales”)

• You can go to the on-call doctors (“emergencia”): Almost all hospitals have what is called an “emergencia,” which is similar to an emergency room or urgent care in the United States.  You do not need an appointment to go to the “emergencia.”  You walk in and explain your symptoms at reception so that they can send you to the right doctor.  When going to a hospital, take your original passport with you for identification and take your medical insurance card.  Be sure to save all receipts for any payments made in order to submit insurance claims for reimbursement, as needed. 

• Book an appointment with a doctor: If your request is not timely enough to go to the hospital, you can book an appointment directly with a local doctor instead. The U.S. Embassy has a list of recommended doctors in Montevideo that you can refer to. Remember to check with your international health insurance regarding their coverage because you might be able to book a medical appointment directly through your insurance in order to have it fully covered.

• Ensure you understand how your international health insurance works, including what’s covered and how to file a claim. Typically, you can either seek pre-approval for a visit or pay out of pocket and file a claim afterward.

Pharmacies/Drugstores (“Farmacias”)

Farmashop (tienda.farmashop.com.uy); San Roque (sanroque.com.uy); Farmacity (farmacity.com.uy/)

You can visit a nearby pharmacy or order online through the PedidosYa app. Medicine is not sold in grocery stores.

Common Medicine Equivalents

Certain prescription medications in the U.S. may be available over the counter in Uruguay—ask the pharmacist for advice.
Be aware that dosages for some medications may differ from U.S. equivalents.