Technical article
Mauritius: Cyclone Season, Ambulances and Clinics
The government portal lists six public hospitals, with the health centres around each.
Picture a couple named Walter and Diane, both 66. They found a flat near the coast in Mauritius and loved the light. Then Diane asked a plain question. What happens in the cyclone months, and how fast can an ambulance reach us?
I looked for official answers on 10 October 2026. Some are clear. Some are not given.
The cyclone season and the four warning classes
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre says: "The Cyclonic Season in Mauritius covers the period between 1st of November to 15th of May." That is about six and a half months.
The same page describes four warning classes. Each is tied to gusts of 120 kilometres per hour.
| Class | When it is issued (page's words) | What the page says to do |
|---|---|---|
| I | "not less than 36 hours, nor more than 48 hours, before" gusts of 120 km/h | Check your emergency kit, follow bulletins, get ready to close up windows and doors |
| II | Allows "as far as practicable, 12 hours of daylight" before such gusts | Confirm the kit, store enough drinking water |
| III | Allows "as far as practicable, 6 hours of daylight" before such gusts | Finish preparing, stay in, move from weak dwellings to shelters. Shelters are "normally opened" at this point |
| IV | "when gusts of 120 kilometres per hour are recorded in some places and are expected to continue" | Stay indoors and disconnect electrical appliances (page's advice, in paraphrase) |
A second official page, "Be ready for cyclones", tells households to check that "the walls, roof and eaves of your home are secure and able to withstand cyclone gusts." It also says to trim trees near the house and power lines, and to find out where the nearest cyclone emergency centre is. It tells people to prepare an emergency kit but does not list what goes in it.
Neither page shows a publication date. Both carry a 2020 government footer.
Ambulances and the emergency line
The Ministry of Health and Wellness page says: "The SAMU Control Room 114 which is functional on a 24-hour basis all year round." SAMU is the emergency medical service. The page says its role is to "provide on-site pre-hospital medical treatment and stabilize critical and vital emergencies during transport." It also covers transfers between hospitals and by air.
The hospitals page of the government portal also lists "Phone 114" for SAMU.
Hospitals and clinics
The government portal lists six public hospitals, with the health centres around each.
| Hospital | Community Health Centres | Area Health Centres |
|---|---|---|
| Dr A. Gaffoor Jeetoo (Port Louis) | 25 | 6 |
| Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam National (Pamplemousses) | 23 | 4 |
| Flacq | 24 | 4 |
| Jawaharall Nehru (Rose-Belle) | 17 | 5 |
| Victoria (Candos) | 20 | 5 |
| Queen Elizabeth (Rodrigues) | 11 | 2 |
One small difference between two official pages. The portal names six hospitals, including the one on Rodrigues. The Ministry of Health page says services are provided by "5 Regional Hospitals". I show both and do not pick. The Ministry page also mentions "specialised and district hospitals".
What is left open
- How fast an ambulance arrives. The SAMU news page I tried showed only its title.
- Whether a foreign resident pays for an ambulance or for public hospital care. The only free service I found stated was dialysis, "free of charge to all patients attending Public Health Institutions".
- Anything on home insurance for cyclone damage from an official page.
An accountant, lawyer or insurance regulator in Mauritius could confirm the last two.
You could…
- Ask the owner of any home you look at about the roof, eaves and shutters.
- Save 114 in your phone before you arrive.
- Ask the Ministry of Health about charges for foreign residents.
Which months of the year would you want to be on the island?
Figures are estimates for planning, based on public data. Date read: 10 October 2026.
Tell us in the comments