Zanzibar island's main public hospital is Mnazi Moja General Hospital, on the south side of stone town. During the island's revolutionary heyday it was called the lenin hospital, but this title has now been dropped. Like many hospitals in developing countries, the staff are dedicated but the wards are badly under-funded, under-supplied and in very poor condition. Equally distressing is the pile of rubbish (including drip-feeds and needles) simply dumped on the beach behind the hospital.

In case of real emergency, the nearest major hospital, fully staffed and equipped, is the Aga Khan Hospital in Mombasa. You may even need to fly there (by charter plane if necessary) if things are really serious, but this should be covered by your insurance.

Most tourists go to one of the private medical clinics where staff speak English and the service is usually better. Of course, this has to be paid for, and costs around US$50 per consultation, but all fees should be covered by your travel insurance. The medical centres also have pharmacies selling medicines and other supplies.

Main clinics

Zanzibar Medical and Diagnostic Centre

PO Box 1043; 024 223 1071, 24hr emergency no: 0777 750040/413714.
Just off Vuga Rd, near the Majestic Cinema, this clinic is recommend by most expatriates. It's a fully equipped facility, run to European standards, and the staff members speak several European languages.

Zanzibar Medical Group

024 2233134.
Another good-quality private clinic on Kenyatta Rd, charging US$30 per consultation.

Other medical centres

If your insurance covers only major medical problems, and you want to keep costs down for something minor, you could go to one of Zanzibar's other medical centres:

Afya Medical Hospital

024 223 1228; 0777 411934.
Off Vuga Rd at the southern end of Stone Town, Afya is large and well stocked, with friendly staff. Consultations cost US$2, blood or urine tests are available, and there's also a pharmacy.

Dr Mehta's Hospital

024 2230194/0741 612889.
Also on Vuga Rd.

Fahaud Health Centre

Near St Joseph's Cathedral, this very basic centre offers consultations for US$1 whilst a malaria blood test is US$0.50. Should your test prove positive, they also sell Fansidar at US$0.50 per tablet.

Pharmacies

If you need to buy medicines, Zanzibar Town has several pharmacies stocking drugs which are mostly imported from Europe and India, and other items such as toiletries and tampons. Stocks are not always reliable, so if you know you're likely to need a specific drug during your visit, it's best to bring a sufficient supply with you. There are pharmacies near the Musoma Bookshop, next to the Emerson & Green Hotel, and another on Creek Road near the market. Straightforward medicines, toiletries and tampons are also available at the 'container stores' on Creek Road.

Police

In case of emergency in zanzibar town, the main police station is in the Malindi area, on the north side of Stone Town (999 or 024 223 0772). This is also the central police station for the whole of Zanzibar. Robberies can be reported here (travel insurance companies usually require you, if you are making a claim, to prove you have notified the local police), but you should not expect any real action to be taken as the police are not particularly well motivated.

Zanzibar also has a platoon of Tourist Police, supposedly to assist and protect Zanzibar's foreign visitors, although many people question their effectiveness. They are mostly seen driving around town in fancy new patrol cars, while touts continue to hassle tourists unimpeded.