Emergencies with children can be particularly stressful for parents. However, even for the smallest patients, Berlin has a well-organized pediatric emergency service. If your child becomes ill in the evening or on weekends, pediatric on-call doctors are available to help.
116117 for children too: Just as with adults, you can call 116117. Let them know that you are calling about a child. The KV Berlin control center has information about which pediatric emergency clinic is open near you. Berlin currently has five locations where pediatricians and adolescent medicine specialists provide care during off-hours:
- Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf: DRK Kliniken Berlin Westend (Pediatric Emergency Station)
- Lichtenberg: Sana Klinikum Lichtenberg (Pediatric Emergency Department)
- Mitte (Wedding): Charité Virchow Hospital, Building 8 Pediatric Emergency Station
- Neukölln: Vivantes Hospital Neukölln (Mother-Child Center) – Attention: Closed Fridays, otherwise open weekends only
- Tempelhof-Schöneberg: St. Joseph Hospital Tempelhof (Pediatric Emergency Practice)
These pediatric emergency clinics have uniform opening hours: during summer season approximately Friday 3–8 p.m. and Sat/Sun 9 a.m.–8 p.m., during winter hours Friday until 9 p.m. and Sat/Sun 9 a.m.–9 p.m. (Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve follow weekend hours.) No appointment is necessary – simply come by with your child's health insurance card. Treatment is provided by pediatricians and billed through your insurance, just like a regular doctor's visit. Please plan for some waiting time; especially on Sundays, the waiting rooms can be crowded.
Pediatrician on Weekends
If your child is only mildly ill, you can wait until Monday – but if there are severe symptoms, you should use the emergency service. Many parents search online for "pediatrician weekend Berlin" – here is the solution: the emergency clinics mentioned above. They prevent the need to rush to the hospital emergency room with every feverish child. Of course: if your child has high fever (over 39°C), persistent vomiting, develops a rash with fever, or shows other concerning symptoms, do not hesitate to visit the emergency clinic or contact the on-call doctor. For infants under 3 months with fever, you should always seek medical advice immediately.
Pediatric Emergency Doctor
In life-threatening situations in children, call 112. For example, with severe respiratory distress, unconsciousness, seizures, suspected poisoning, or severe injuries, a pediatric emergency doctor must be dispatched. Berlin has specialized pediatric emergency stations (e.g., Charité Virchow, Vivantes Neukölln) for such emergencies. A specialized pediatric emergency doctor will be alerted via 112 if necessary. For everyday acute illnesses, however, the pediatric on-call service is the right choice.
House Call from a Pediatrician
If your child cannot leave the house (such as high fever requiring bed rest) and it is a weekend or nighttime? Then you can request a pediatric house call via 116117. The KV Berlin has a medical transport service that also treats children if a clinic visit is not possible. Indicate on the phone that it is a child so that a pediatrician is sent if necessary. Alternatively, there are private pediatric emergency services, such as KinderArztRuf in Berlin, which will send a pediatrician to your home for a fee. House call costs there range from approximately €100–180 depending on the time. Privately insured children are covered by this; statutory insurance patients would be self-paying. This service is aimed at parents who want the convenience of having a pediatrician come to their home immediately instead of driving to the emergency clinic.
Tips
When visiting an emergency service with your child, always have everything important ready: insurance card, vaccination record, child health record, any medications your child takes. In the rush, it's easy to forget something. At the emergency clinic, you take a number and wait, similar to a regular doctor's office – bring drinking water and perhaps a toy or book for distraction. The doctors make an effort to treat the young patients quickly.
Reassurance
Berlin is very well equipped for pediatric emergencies that are not life-threatening. The combination of pediatric emergency clinics and house call services ensures that your child receives medical care even in the evening, at night, or on weekends. Many of the on-call doctors are experienced pediatricians or general practitioners with pediatric experience. So your children are in good hands, even when your regular pediatrician is not available.
Private – but not impersonal: RAB makes the difference
If you are looking for private medical care in Berlin, you need a partner who combines medical quality with genuine accessibility. RAB offers exactly that – with specialist expertise in Berlin, personal German telephone support, and the assurance that you receive medical help at any time – without foreign service providers or automated phone systems. Your health deserves the highest priority – RAB delivers it.