First Aid in Bali: What to Do in the First Minutes of an Emergency

Before helping, check that it’s safe for you: traffic, water, electrical cables or an aggressive animal. Then check whether the person responds and is breathing normally. If you’re in any doubt about how serious it is, call for help first.

If an adult suddenly collapses, doesn’t respond and isn’t breathing normally, their heart may have stopped. Hands-only CPR keeps blood flowing to the brain until help arrives, and you don’t need formal training to do it.

• Call for help and put the phone on speaker
• Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest, other hand on top
• Push hard and fast: 100–120 compressions per minute, at least 5 cm (2 in) deep but no more than about 6 cm
• Let the chest rise fully between pushes, and don’t stop until help arrives or the person starts breathing
• If a defibrillator (AED) is available, switch it on and follow its voice prompts

If the person can cough forcefully and speak, encourage them to keep coughing. If they can’t speak, breathe or cough effectively, act straight away:

• Give 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades
• Then give 5 abdominal thrusts: stand behind them, place a fist just above the navel and pull sharply inward and upward
• Keep alternating 5 and 5 until the object comes out; use chest thrusts for pregnant or larger people
• If they become unconscious, call for help, lay them on a firm surface and start CPR

Anyone who needed back blows or abdominal thrusts should be checked by a doctor afterwards.

• Press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth or dressing and keep pressing; add more layers on top if blood soaks through
• If a limb is bleeding, raise it while keeping pressure on it
• After a crash, don’t remove a rider’s helmet and don’t move them if a neck or back injury is possible, unless they’re in immediate danger
• Clean minor grazes thoroughly with clean water; tropical heat and humidity make infection more likely

Read more in our guides to scooter accidents in Bali and coral cuts and infected wounds.

• Cool the burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes, starting as soon as possible
• Remove jewellery or clothing near the burn, unless it’s stuck to the skin
• Cover loosely with cling film or a clean plastic bag
• Don’t use ice, butter, toothpaste or creams

Seek medical care for burns on the face, hands, feet or genitals, burns larger than the person’s palm, any burn on a child, and severe sunburn with widespread blisters, fever or vomiting.

Jellyfish stings, cuts and grazes are among the most common beach injuries in Bali.

Bali’s heat and humidity, plus long days in the sun, surfing or hiking, can overwhelm the body’s cooling system. Heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke, which is life-threatening.

See also our guide to dehydration and heat exhaustion in Bali.

• Get out of the water and remove any tentacles with a gloved hand, a stick or a card, never bare fingers
• Rinse with seawater, not fresh water
• Bluebottle stings: soak in hot water around 45°C (test it first) for up to 20 minutes to ease pain; skip vinegar, which may make the pain worse
• Box jellyfish or an unknown species with severe pain or many stings: pour vinegar over the area and call for help immediately
• Stonefish or venomous fish spines: wash the wound and soak in hot water around 45°C, then see a doctor

Call for emergency help if the person has trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion or collapses.

Rabies is present in Bali, and dogs cause the vast majority of human cases worldwide. Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal, but it is preventable with prompt treatment after a bite or scratch.

• Wash the wound with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes
• Don’t wait to see whether the animal looks sick; see a doctor the same day
• You may need a course of rabies vaccine and, for deeper wounds, rabies immunoglobulin
• This applies to dogs, cats and monkeys, including the monkeys at temples and tourist sites

Learn more about our Rabies Vaccination service.

Watch for swelling of the throat or tongue, difficulty breathing or wheezing, a hoarse voice, dizziness or fainting, and a widespread rash, often within minutes of a food, sting or medication.

• Use an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen) if the person has one
• Call for emergency help and say it’s anaphylaxis
• Lie them down with legs raised, or sit them up if breathing is difficult; don’t let them stand or walk
• If there’s no improvement after 5 minutes, give a second auto-injector if available

• Sterile dressings, plasters, gauze, crepe bandage and medical tape
• Antiseptic wipes or solution, and clean disposable gloves
• Paracetamol, antihistamines and oral rehydration salts
• Sunscreen, insect repellent and after-sun gel
• Your regular medications, a written list of them, and any adrenaline auto-injector you’ve been prescribed
• Your travel insurance details and these emergency numbers saved in your phone

Upset stomach on your trip? Read our guide to Bali Belly.

Our team is available 24/7 for wound care, burns, stings, bites, heat illness and more. If you can’t come to us, our on-call doctors can visit your hotel or villa, and our ambulance service provides medically accompanied transfer when hospital care is needed.

Learn more about our On-Call Service and Ambulance service, or book a Doctor Consultation.