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Children's health in Geneva

In Geneva, your children are cared for in French and to a very high standard, but the system is nothing like France's: no Sécurité sociale, compulsory private health insurance for everyone, and community paediatricians in high demand. Here is how it works, with addresses checked on official websites and the Geneva Paediatric Society's directory.

Verified on 30 October 2026

How the system works

Swiss healthcare rests on compulsory health insurance, run by private insurers and supervised by the canton. Remember three words: premium, deductible, co-payment.

Good to know

  • Basic insurance (LAMal) is compulsory for everyone living in Switzerland, from birth or arrival. It is run by private insurers, but basic benefits are identical with every insurer; only premiums vary. Source
  • Each family member has their own policy and premium. Children have reduced premiums; compare on the official calculator, differences between insurers are real. Source
  • You pay part of the costs: an annual deductible chosen in your contract, then a co-payment on later bills, both lower for children. You often pay the doctor's bill and then send it to your insurer for reimbursement. Source
  • Dental care is not covered by basic insurance. For children aged 0 to 18, the canton's school dental service offers prevention, treatment and orthodontics in its public practices. Source
  • If you live in neighbouring France and work in Geneva, you have a right of option between LAMal and the French system: an important choice to make with full information. Source

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Finding a paediatrician or doctor

No registered family doctor to declare: you freely choose your paediatrician and GP. The hardest part is finding one who accepts new patients; start looking before you even arrive.

Good to know

  • The Geneva Paediatric Society publishes the official directory of its members, all FMH paediatricians, with an 'accepting new patients' filter, the commune and the languages spoken. Source
  • For adults, the Geneva cantonal doctors' association keeps a full directory of doctors, with a list of those accepting new patients. Source
  • For free medical guidance, 24 hours a day, the Centrale Santé Genève answers on 0800 116 117; the canton also recommends booking online, for example on OneDoc. Source
  • The French carnet de santé remains your reference: bring it to the first appointment with the child's health insurance card. The canton asks for a copy of the vaccination record at 28 months, 7-8 years and 14-15 years. Source
  • Bring school health records and key reports (allergies, speech therapy, treatments): Geneva paediatricians read French documents without translation.

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Emergencies and paediatric on-call care

The HUG children's emergency department is often overloaded with cases that could have waited. The right reflex: the paediatric on-call service for a fever or an ear infection, the emergency department for an accident or a child who is clearly unwell.

Good to know

  • Emergency numbers: 144 for medical emergencies, 118 for the fire service, 117 for the police, 145 for poisoning (24-hour advice) and 112, the international number. Source
  • The Geneva Paediatric Society's on-call service (0844 022 022) sees children by appointment on weekday evenings 6 to 10 pm, Saturdays 12 to 7 pm, Sundays and public holidays 9 am to 7 pm. Appointments are booked online only; the phone line is for medical advice. Source
  • The children's emergency department at the Hôpital des enfants (HUG) is open 24/7, from birth to age 16, including for acute mental health crises. Source
  • Before leaving home, check symptoms on monenfantestmalade.ch or with the HUG InfoMed app, which tell you when to see the paediatrician and when to go to the emergency department. Source

Addresses

  • Hôpital des enfants, urgences pédiatriques des HUG

    Emergency

    Rue Willy-Donzé 6, 1205 Genève

    The university children's hospital, open 24/7 up to age 16. Trams 12 and 18 to Augustins, bus 7 to Pédiatrie, Léman Express to Genève-Champel.

    Website Source

  • Hôpital de La Tour, urgences pédiatriques

    Emergency

    Avenue J.-D. Maillard 3, 1217 Meyrin

    Private hospital on the right bank, walk-in children's emergencies 24/7; it is also one of the paediatric on-call locations.

    Website Source

  • Clinique des Grangettes, urgences pédiatriques

    Emergency

    Route de Chêne 91, 1224 Chêne-Bougeries

    Walk-in children's emergencies, daily 9 am to 9 pm, on the left bank.

    Website Source

  • Cité générations, urgences pédiatriques d'Onex

    Emergency

    Route de Chancy 98, 1213 Onex

    Walk-in children's emergency centre for under-16s, 7 days a week 9 am to 9.30 pm, with on-site radiology and lab; tram 14.

    Website Source

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French-speaking paediatricians and carers

Geneva is French-speaking: every doctor consults in French, so the consulate does not publish a list of doctors as in other cities. The real difficulty is finding an available paediatrician. Here are paediatricians from the Geneva Paediatric Society's official directory listed as accepting new patients when we checked, spread across family neighbourhoods, plus two public services for mental and dental health. This list is neither exhaustive nor a recommendation; check availability on the directory.

Good to know

  • The Geneva Paediatric Society's directory lists more than 170 FMH paediatricians in the canton, with the practice's commune, languages spoken and an 'accepting new patients' flag. Source
  • For a GP, gynaecologist or psychiatrist, the AMGe directory covers every doctor in the canton, and the consulate points to the official register of Swiss doctors. Source
  • For a child who needs a psychologist, a speech therapist or a psychomotor therapist, the Office médico-pédagogique runs public neighbourhood clinics. Source

Addresses

  • Dr Alessandro Diana

    Paediatrician

    Eaux-Vives (gare des Eaux-Vives)

    FMH paediatrician, general paediatrics at Centre Médical Qorpus. Listed as accepting new patients when we checked.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, IT

    Source

  • Dre Judith Muhlstein-Barasche

    Paediatrician

    Eaux-Vives (gare des Eaux-Vives)

    FMH paediatrician, general paediatrics at the Centre de pédiatrie Eaux-Vives Gare. Listed as accepting new patients when we checked.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Dr Marc Kaplun

    Paediatrician

    Champel

    FMH paediatrician, paediatrics and sports medicine at Helveticare. Listed as accepting new patients when we checked.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, ES, DE

    Website Source

  • Dr Nicolas Peyraud

    Paediatrician

    Tranchées (Champel, Florissant)

    FMH paediatrician, general paediatrics, consultations at the practice and at home. Listed as accepting new patients when we checked.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Dre Dania Haeberli Bazarbachi

    Paediatrician

    Chêne-Bougeries

    FMH paediatrician, Centre de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, with a family therapy focus. Listed as accepting new patients when we checked.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Source

  • Dre Monia Sosa Mascarel

    Paediatrician

    Versoix

    FMH paediatrician, general paediatrics. Listed as accepting new patients when we checked.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, ES, IT

    Source

  • Dre Spyridoula Bagetakou

    Paediatrician

    Versoix

    FMH paediatrician, general paediatrics. Listed as accepting new patients when we checked.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, EL

    Source

  • Dr Thomas Bapst

    Paediatrician

    Petit-Lancy

    FMH paediatrician, general paediatrics at the Centre de pédiatrie Lancy Les Esserts. Listed as accepting new patients when we checked.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Dre Aline Richard

    Paediatrician

    Carouge

    FMH paediatrician, general paediatrics at the Clinique de Carouge. Listed as accepting new patients when we checked.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Dre Elspeth Aghanya

    Paediatrician

    Meyrin

    FMH paediatrician, general paediatrics at the Centre Médical de Meyrin. Listed as accepting new patients when we checked.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Dr Sébastien Papis

    Paediatrician

    Châtelaine (rive droite)

    FMH paediatrician, general paediatrics. Listed as accepting new patients when we checked.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Source

  • Dre Laure Ziegler

    Paediatrician

    Servette (rive droite)

    FMH paediatrician, general paediatrics. Listed as accepting new patients when we checked.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, DE, IT, ES, ZH

    Source

  • Office médico-pédagogique (OMP), consultations de secteur

    Psychologist

    Rue David-Dufour 1, 1205 Genève (direction)

    Cantonal public mental health service for children and teenagers: doctors, psychologists, speech therapists and psychomotor therapists in neighbourhood clinics (Eaux-Vives, Pâquis...).

    Languages spoken : FR

    Website Source

  • Service dentaire scolaire (SDS)

    Dentist

    Rue des Glacis-de-Rive 11, 1207 Genève, et cabinets de quartier

    Public dental practices open to all children and young people aged 0 to 18 living or at school in Geneva: prevention, treatment and orthodontics, by appointment at the practice of your choice.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Website Source

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Pregnancy and maternity

Pregnancy is followed by an obstetrician-gynaecologist, often with a midwife. Your choice of maternity unit also depends on your insurance: in a private clinic, supplementary cover is usually needed.

Good to know

  • In Geneva, maternity leave lasts 16 weeks, versus 14 in the rest of Switzerland, of which 8 weeks are compulsory. The allowance is 80% of salary, up to a daily cap. Source
  • To receive the allowance, you must have been covered by AVS for the 9 months before birth and have worked for at least 5 of those months: worth checking if you arrive pregnant. Source
  • Remember to enrol your baby with a health insurer within three months of birth: the health insurance service writes to you within days. Source
  • The HUG maternity unit brings together delivery rooms, antenatal and postnatal wards, continuous care and 24-hour obstetric and gynaecological emergencies. Source

Addresses

  • Maternité des HUG

    Maternity

    Boulevard de la Cluse 30, 1205 Genève

    The university maternity unit, next to the children's hospital, with on-site neonatology. Trams 12 and 18 to Augustins, Léman Express to Genève-Champel.

    Website Source

  • Clinique des Grangettes, maternité

    Maternity

    Chemin des Grangettes 7, 1224 Chêne-Bougeries

    Private clinic on the left bank (Hirslanden group), maternity, paediatrics and children's emergencies on the same site; antenatal classes for parents.

    Website Source

  • Clinique Générale-Beaulieu, maternité

    Maternity

    Champel, Genève

    Private clinic in Champel (Swiss Medical Network), maternity unit with on-call paediatricians and services for parents and babies.

    Website Source

  • Hôpital de La Tour, maternité

    Maternity

    Avenue J.-D. Maillard 3, 1217 Meyrin

    Private hospital on the right bank, handy for families in Grand-Saconnex, Meyrin and the Pays de Gex, with 24-hour children's emergencies.

    Website Source

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Pharmacies and medicines

Geneva pharmacies advise, vaccinate and help out, but medicine brand names change: note the active ingredient (INN) of your usual treatments before you leave.

Good to know

  • One pharmacy is open 24/7 on boulevard de la Cluse, near the HUG. In addition, an on-duty pharmacy opens from 8 am to 11 pm, rotating every week: the pharmaGenève association publishes the schedule. Source
  • The canton points people to pharmacies for walk-in advice and first aid: they are often the first stop for a minor injury or a doubt. Source
  • Common equivalents: paracetamol is sold notably as Dafalgan, children's ibuprofen as Algifor. Always ask the pharmacist for the form and dose suited to the child's weight.
  • A French prescription is not necessarily accepted or reimbursed: for ongoing treatments, get a prescription from a Switzerland-based doctor in your first weeks.
  • From age 16, many vaccines are given in pharmacies without a prescription (flu, measles, tetanus, whooping cough...). To be reimbursed by basic insurance, a doctor's prescription is needed beforehand. Source

Addresses

  • Pharma24

    Pharmacy

    Boulevard de la Cluse 38, 1205 Genève

    The pharmacy open 24/7, a short walk from the children's hospital and the HUG maternity unit.

    Source

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Vaccines

A big difference from France: in Switzerland, no vaccine is compulsory, neither for nursery nor for school. Vaccines are recommended by the Swiss vaccination schedule, and the canton checks records at three ages.

Good to know

  • No vaccine is compulsory in Switzerland. The Swiss vaccination schedule recommends basic vaccinations for children and teenagers, supplementary vaccinations, and catch-ups for adults. Source
  • The schedule is updated every year by the Federal Office of Public Health with the Federal Commission for Vaccination: your paediatrician adapts the French schedule you have already started. Source
  • The canton writes to you when your child is 28 months, 7-8 and 14-15 years old to ask for a copy of the vaccination record, sent online through your e-démarches account. If everything is up to date, you get no reply. Source
  • Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B is offered at school as part of the cantonal programme. Source
  • Children are vaccinated at the paediatrician's; from age 16, many vaccines are also available in pharmacies. Source

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These landmarks do not replace the advice of a health professional. In an emergency, call the local emergency number shown above.

A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Geneva will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Société genevoise de pédiatrie, annuaire des pédiatres
  2. 2 Société genevoise de pédiatrie, service de garde
  3. 3 HUG, urgences pédiatriques
  4. 4 État de Genève, affiliation obligatoire à l'assurance maladie
  5. 5 État de Genève, trouver un rendez-vous rapidement
  6. 6 État de Genève, plan de vaccination suisse
  7. 7 pharmaGenève, pharmacies de garde
  8. 8 Consulat général de France à Genève, en cas d'urgence

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