The next time your two year old complains of ear ache at night, don't panic. An allergic reaction on a Saturday night? Not to worry. Help is near - and it's available sans endless hours of waiting! After hours medical centers have been mushrooming all around the country and they are known for the prompt, high quality, convenient health care they provide - after regular hours!

After hours medical center or urgent health care center, as the name implies, offers urgent medical care in cases where the medical problem is urgent but not life threatening. These centers have been set up to meet sudden medical problems and are therefore open beyond regular working hours. Many of them even work over the weekends providing patients with much needed medical succor.

After hours medical care was devised as an alternative to Emergency Room. For most patients, long waiting hours and high costs were serious concerns associated with the ER care facility. Besides, treatment often depended on the seriousness of the medical problem. Thus, a person suffering from a badly sprained ankle or a child with a pink eye might have to wait for hours before they get the medical attention they deserve.

By contrast, emergency medical service facilities believe in providing immediate and convenient access to high quality medical care. A number of common medical conditions are treated routinely, including but not limited to sinus infections, ear infections, allergies, rashes, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, minor fractures, injuries and so on. Most centers also offer immunization services and are known for their preventative and wellness services.

Unlike Emergency Rooms where health care is costly, after hours medical care centers offer highly affordable health care even over the weekends. Most centers accept insurance too. These centers are very customer friendly, so, many people have switched over to such medical care centers and consider them to be a first line of defense against medical problems.

After hours medical care centers are particularly useful in case of workplace or school related injuries. In fact, such centers have been playing a major role in reducing employee absenteeism because they deal with minor injuries, burns and the like quickly. Employees no longer need to wait for weeks in order to get proper medical attention. Wait times are generally very low, often as low as fifteen minutes or less. Prior appointments are not required. These are therefore also known as walk-in health care centers. So, if you require immediate medical care over the weekend or after working hours, you might want to check out after hours medical care centers.