A fever that starts on Saturday evening, a respiratory infection that gets worse or a medical problem that does not seem serious enough to call 112 but cannot wait until Monday. In situations like these, a hospital emergency room is not the only option in Bucharest.

The capital also has out-of-hours primary care centres, known in Romanian as “centre de permanență”, where medical shifts are covered by family doctors or general practitioners and nurses. At weekends, on public holidays and on officially declared non-working days, these centres provide round-the-clock medical care. During the week, their on-call hours are from 3 PM to 8 AM.

As of October 2026, the Bucharest Public Health Directorate lists three such centres in the capital.

What exactly is a “centru de permanență”?

A centru de permanență is designed to provide primary medical care outside the normal opening hours of family doctors' practices.

Patients can be assessed for acute and subacute conditions, as well as flare-ups of chronic illnesses, within the scope of family medicine or general practice. Doctors can also provide certain types of care for medical and surgical emergencies that fall within their professional competence.

In practical terms, the doctor can examine the patient and recommend treatment, while the centre can issue prescriptions and medical letters. Prescribed injectable or intravenous medication can be administered, wounds can be dressed or surgical dressings changed and, under certain conditions, stitches can be removed following surgery, based on the specialist doctor's recommendation.

One important detail is that services at these centres are available to anyone who requests medical assistance, regardless of whether they are insured under Romania's public health insurance system.

Where are the out-of-hours medical centres in Bucharest in 2026?

The current list published by the Bucharest Public Health Directorate includes three centres.

Centrul de Permanență Brâncuși – CMI Dr. Georgescu Adriana is located at 113 Drumul Valea Doftanei, Sector 6. The telephone number published by the Bucharest Public Health Directorate is 031 9119.

Centrul de Permanență Anima Medical Speciality Services is located at 42 Șoseaua Pipera, 1st floor, Sector 2, telephone 0725 828 862.

Centrul de Permanență Sano Medica Diagnostics is located at 36 Strada Buzești, Sector 1, telephone 0745 685 048.

At weekends, these centres are required to provide 24-hour medical services. As opening arrangements can be subject to administrative changes, it is advisable to call before travelling to a centre.

Out-of-hours medical centre or hospital emergency department?

They are not the same thing.

A centru de permanență provides primary medical care outside the normal working hours of family doctors. It is an option for medical problems that need assessment but do not appear to be immediately life-threatening.

Hospital emergency departments and on-call units are intended for emergencies that the respective hospital is equipped to treat. Some hospitals also have separate on-call services for particular medical specialties.

At Grigore Alexandrescu Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children, for example, there is an emergency department for paediatric emergencies, as well as a separate on-call unit for paediatric orthopaedics and traumatology.

In other words, a hospital's on-call service should not be treated as a general medical clinic that simply happens to remain open at night or during the weekend.

When should you go directly to the ER or call 112?

Out-of-hours primary care centres are not a substitute for emergency services.

If there are signs of a serious medical emergency – such as severe breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness, seizures, symptoms suggesting a stroke or heart attack, significant bleeding, severe trauma, serious burns or a rapid and severe deterioration in someone's general condition – you should not lose time looking for an out-of-hours medical centre. Depending on the situation, the appropriate course of action is to go to an emergency department or call 112.

Among the main Bucharest hospitals providing emergency care for adults are Floreasca Emergency Hospital, Bucharest University Emergency Hospital, Sf. Pantelimon Clinical Emergency Hospital, Sf. Ioan Clinical Emergency Hospital and Bagdasar-Arseni Clinical Emergency Hospital.

A broader overview of the city's major public hospitals and their medical specialties is available in our guide to the largest public hospitals in Bucharest.

What if you need medical care for a child?

The same basic principle applies: the severity of the symptoms should determine where you seek medical care.

For a condition that can be managed within the scope of family medicine, an out-of-hours medical centre can be an alternative to going directly to a major emergency hospital. Access to these centres is not restricted to people covered by public health insurance.

For a paediatric emergency, however, Bucharest has dedicated services. Grigore Alexandrescu Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children has a permanently operating emergency department, and a referral from a family doctor is not required for a child to be assessed in an emergency.

Parents can also find more information in our guide on where to take children for emergency medical care in Bucharest.

A useful weekend option that many people do not know about

In practice, the choice does not always have to be between “wait until Monday” and “go to the ER.”

Out-of-hours medical centres exist precisely for times when family doctors' practices are closed and a medical problem needs to be assessed without being a major emergency. There are relatively few in Bucharest – only three are currently listed by the Bucharest Public Health Directorate – but they provide continuity of primary medical care throughout the weekend, and access is not dependent on public health insurance status.

For a serious emergency, the appropriate route remains the emergency department or 112. But for a problem that can be assessed within primary care, a centru de permanență may be exactly the service many Bucharest residents and visitors do not realise is available.