Baku - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Air isn't great but could be much worse (thanks the winds for it not being worse). Anything difficult re: medical care gets you medivaced. - Sep 2023
The water is heavily laden with metals and not potable. It is advised NOT to swim in the Caspian Sea at all. The cuisine can definitely give you digestive grief. Local medical care is not the greatest, and many surgical or intensive issues are medically evacuated for care. - Aug 2023
The pollution can be a concern particularly during winter, as well as SAD - for months it can just be cold and cloudy. Also, local medical services are definitely not up to other European or American standards so for serious issues you might need to leave to get treatment. There also aren't many accessible specialists for certain fields. - Jun 2023
No real health concerns. It can get dusty in the summer and you might be affected by seasonal allergies. Medical care is decent. There's a fancy Turkish hospital that you can go to for an MRI if you need one. My wife destroyed her knee and they Medevaced her to London. I'm not sure where the line is between evac and local care though. - Jun 2021
There aren't local vaccines for many things, so please vaccinate yourself and your children. - Jan 2019
We haven’t had any issues here. It’s a big city, so of course, the air is not as clean as it is in the countryside, but it hasn’t affected us. Medical care is not the greatest, so most people are medivaced for anything more serious. Dental care is okay, but not great. Health Unit sends most people to WorldMed, but I would not recommend them anymore.
I like the Dr. Smiles Boutique a lot better, although her practice does not look as impressive as WorldMed does, but I find the services better there. She also seems a lot more honest. Dr. Latafet Aliyeva got her degree in the US and was a dentist there for many years, so she is very familiar with American standards. - Jul 2018
I have had no health issues in Baku. The healthcare system isn't great, so medivacs are frequent for serious issues. I've gone to a good, inexpensive dentist called WorldMed. - May 2018
I have noticed that a lot of cases are medically evacuated to London. We are fortunate to have a full-time nurse practitioner and an American doctor and local nurse in the embassy health unit. X-rays and MRIs are cheap. Medicine is cheap and easy to get. - Mar 2017
The air quality is bad, I have found used hypodermic needles on the ground, trash is everywhere, trash is burned regularly in the streets, chickens and chicken waste abound, people do not go barefoot outside and do not wear shoes inside. Medical care is adequate for minor issues only and anything major is med-evac'd. - Jul 2015
Perhaps if someone is sensitive to air pollution, it might present a problem. The medical care here is abysmal, as most doctors have bought their degrees. There is basic care, and an English-speaking clinic, but anything beyond that is sent to somewhere with better care (London, Dubai). - Jan 2013
Medical Care: Skim to none. The Med Unit at the Embassy and SOS International. Hospitals not up to US standards. Depending on what the medical need is -- most time you get Medevaced out of here to another country. Air is a huge problem so there are a lot of respiratory problems here. A close tie to Respiratory issues is gastrointestinal problems. Salmonella poisoning, food poisoning, diarrhea, high fat/oil used in food in restaurants here-stomach upset. Be sure to bring Maalox, GasX, Pepto Bismol! - Dec 2011
Medical care is very poor. - Sep 2010
I have heard too many nightmares: misdiagnosed strep, botched root canal. Plus multiple medevacs. - Aug 2010
The embassy has a full-time nurse on staff, and she is very helpful/knowledgeable. There is also an SOS clinic that has western-trained doctors. - Oct 2009
Do not come here if you have asthma. It is not a good place for people with bad asthma problems and you will have problems with allergies too. It's very dusty here. - Nov 2008
Embassy health unit staffed with a nurse and nurse practitioner. SOS clinic for whatever the health unit can't handle and emergencies. Ok care however I wouldn't let them do any invasive procedure other than draw blood. - Sep 2008
Pollution, stomach issues, tb. I would only go to the international clinics and even then you're rolling the dice. Local clinics are in a sorry state as is the training of many of the local doctors. - Sep 2008
