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Psychiatric emergency: where to go in Tunis, who to call, what to do.
Hallucinations, suicidal talk, agitation, total insomnia — a psychiatric emergency is not handled alone, and not "tomorrow". In life-threatening danger, call 190 (SAMU). For everything else, Espoir Clinic in El Menzah 9 receives psychiatric emergencies 24/7: a caregiver answers at any hour on +216 52 247 043.
What counts as an emergency
- Suicidal thoughts spoken out loud, even half-said — they justify a call today, not next week.
- Agitation or violence that does not come down, against oneself or others.
- Hallucinations, talk losing touch with reality, sudden confusion.
- Total insomnia for several days, with exhaustion or exaltation.
- A withdrawal going wrong — severe tremor, confusion, seizures: that is a medical emergency.
Who to call, in what order
- Immediate life-threatening danger — an attempt in progress, an unconscious person, seizures: call 190 (SAMU), then call us: we prepare the arrival.
- A crisis without vital danger — major anxiety, decompensation, relapse: call the clinic directly on +216 52 247 043. The call assesses, says what to do until arrival, and prepares admission if needed.
- Not sure it is an emergency? Call anyway: deciding is exactly the job of the caregiver who picks up.
On arrival at the clinic
Reception is open day and night. The doctor examines, and decides with you what the situation calls for — consultation, monitoring, or voluntary admission in a single or double room, with nursing presence day and night. What to bring fits in very little: the page preparing your stay details it, but in an emergency you come first — the rest follows.
If the person refuses care
It is the most common situation, and it has its page: They refuse treatment: what can we do? — how to prepare the conversation, choose the moment, and what to do if things get worse. The first call is for you, their family.
The questions people don’t dare ask
Can we come without an appointment in an emergency?
Yes. Reception is open 24/7 and a caregiver answers the phone at any hour. Calling before you leave mainly helps prepare the arrival — but nobody is turned away for not having an appointment.
Can someone be admitted against their will?
Admission at the clinic is voluntary: it happens with the patient's consent. If they refuse care, the page They refuse treatment details what helps — and a first call serves to assess the situation. In immediate danger, call 190.
What should we do while waiting to arrive?
Stay with the person, move away anything that could hurt, speak calmly and without debating what they say. In life-threatening danger call 190; otherwise call the clinic: we stay on the line and prepare the arrival.
The information on this page is general and does not replace a medical consultation. No treatment should be started, stopped or adjusted on the basis of this site.
Understand the context: psychiatry in Tunis — consult, be treated.
The person refuses? What helps, step by step.