Health in Seychelles

Primary health care (PHC) is the first level of care for consultations, prevention, common illnesses, family planning, maternal and child health, immunisation, dental care and medicines. Health Centres provide PHC on Mahé, Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette. The Health Care Agency (HCA) delivers preventive, curative and rehabilitation services through primary, secondary and tertiary facilities. The Ministry of Health sets policy and monitors the system, while the Public Health Authority (PHA) leads disease prevention, health promotion, surveillance and public-health regulation. Routine care normally begins at the relevant Health Centre or a family or specialist programme. The Specialist Outpatient Department (SOPD) and Seychelles Hospital provide specialist consultations, inpatient treatment, surgery, diagnostics, oncology, nephrology and dialysis, psychiatry, rehabilitation and palliative care. Regional facilities include Anse Royale Hospital, Baie Ste Anne Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital. Anse Royale Hospital provides 24-hour care; Baie Ste Anne Hospital lists opening hours of Monday to Friday from 7:30 to 16:00 and Saturday from 7:30 to 12:00; St. Mary’s Hospital lists Monday to Thursday from 8:00 to 16:00 and Saturday from 8:00 to 12:00. Health Centre hours vary by facility and should be checked directly. Accident & Emergency (A&E) and ambulance services handle urgent illness and injury. Call 999 for an urgent emergency involving police, fire or ambulance, or 151 for an ambulance. Seychelles Hospital can be reached at +248 4388000, and the Mental Hospital at +248 4670235. Routine appointments and transport should not use 999. Highly specialised treatment that is unavailable locally can be considered through Overseas Medical Services after medical assessment and approval by the relevant board; government funding may cover all or part of the treatment, depending on the decision. Prevention includes the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), the national immunisation schedule, antenatal care, postnatal care, child health monitoring from birth to age five, school health, adolescent and youth health, sexual and reproductive health, family planning, Pap smears, cancer screening, nutrition, oral health, occupational health and communicable-disease control. In 2025, most routine infant vaccines recorded coverage above 95%, while lower coverage was reported for hepatitis B at birth, the hexavalent vaccine, the second MMR dose, HPV and the tetanus-diphtheria booster. Diabetes and other non-communicable diseases receive particular attention because they account for a substantial share of illness and deaths in Seychelles. Mental-health care includes the Mental Hospital, psychiatric inpatient care at Seychelles Hospital, counselling and psychology services in youth programmes, and support for suicide risk, self-harm, eating disorders and emotional disorders. Alcohol- and substance-use services are also identified for integration into primary care. Dental services at Health Centres and schools on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue include check-ups, screening, fluoride, fissure sealants, scaling, fillings, root-canal treatment, extractions and prosthetic care. Routine dental treatment is generally arranged by appointment; an out-of-hours dental emergency can be referred through Medical Emergency services. HCA pharmaceutical services supply and monitor medicines through hospital and community pharmacies. They check prescriptions, interactions and treatment monitoring, provide patient advice and support safe antibiotic use. Pharmacy opening times are not available as one confirmed current national list, so the relevant facility should be contacted directly. Rehabilitation can include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, audiology, speech pathology, podiatry, acupuncture and orthotic or prosthetic services. Follow-up may take place at hospitals, the rehabilitation centre, Health Centres, schools, workplaces, elderly homes or at home, including domiciliary and palliative care. Article 29 of the Constitution directs the state to take steps toward free primary health care in state institutions for citizens. The public health system describes public services as provided without user charges, while private treatment involves direct payment. Current uniform tariffs for non-citizens and every public service were not confirmed in the available official information, so charges should be checked with the facility before treatment. Private care, medicines obtained outside the public supply, overseas treatment and transport or accompanying-person costs may create additional expenses. The Public Health Act 2015 gives the Public Health Authority powers relating to disease notification, testing, treatment, medicines, vaccines, hygiene and vector control. Where the authority issues a lawful order concerning an infectious disease, the affected individual must comply with the required examination, test or treatment. In 2025, public facilities recorded 286,628 doctor consultations, 171,433 nursing-care visits, 11,601 domiciliary-care visits, 13,882 antenatal-care visits and 3,373 Pap smears in primary care. Seychelles Hospital recorded 37,124 A&E doctor consultations, 35,523 ambulance calls received and 11,300 inpatient admissions; these figures describe recorded use and do not guarantee immediate capacity.