Short Answer
112 is reserved strictly for life-threatening emergencies, while 116 117 is for medical issues that cannot wait until Monday morning.
Using the non-emergency number ensures that the emergency lines remain open for fatal incidents like heart attacks or strokes.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
You didn't know there was a middle ground between "waiting for Monday" and "calling an ambulance." You drove yourself to the ER for an ear infection on a Sunday and waited eight hours behind people with actual trauma. You wasted an entire day with nothing to show for it because you didn't realize 116 117 could have sent you to a local "Bereitschaftspraxis" (on-call practice) with a one-hour wait.
What To Do
- Call 116 117 if you have a painful condition that is not life-threatening.
- Call 112 only if someone is unconscious, not breathing, or has severe chest pain.
- "Ist das ein Fall für den Bereitschaftsdienst?" (Is this a case for the on-call service?) Ask this if you are unsure which level of care you need.
The Truth
The system expects residents to triage their own urgency before picking up the phone. Misusing the emergency line is considered a failure to understand basic civic infrastructure.