Clinic Finder SA

What to Do in a Medical Emergency

In a medical emergency, knowing where to go and what to do can save a life. This guide covers the essential steps: who to call, where to go, and what to expect at a public hospital emergency room.

Emergency numbers

10177 — Ambulance (national)

10111 — Police (SAPS)

112 — Universal emergency (from any cellphone)

082 911 — Netcare 911 (private ambulance, all callers)

0800 055 555 — ER24 (private ambulance)

Save these numbers on your phone now. In an emergency, you will not have time to search for them.

Step 1: Assess the situation

Call an ambulance (10177) immediately if the person:

  1. Is unconscious or unresponsive
  2. Is struggling to breathe or not breathing
  3. Is having a seizure (convulsions)
  4. Has severe chest pain (possible heart attack)
  5. Has been in a serious car accident or fall
  6. Has a suspected spinal or neck injury — do NOT move them
  7. Is bleeding heavily and it will not stop with pressure
  8. Has been poisoned (call Poison Information Centre: 0861 555 777)

Drive to the hospital yourself if: the person is conscious, alert, and able to sit upright. In many areas, driving is faster than waiting for an ambulance. Public ambulance response times vary widely — 15 minutes in urban areas to over an hour in rural areas.

Step 2: Go to the right facility

Life-threatening → Hospital emergency room

Go to a hospital with 24-hour casualty. They have doctors, blood, surgical capacity, and resuscitation equipment. Do not go to a clinic for emergencies.

Urgent but not life-threatening → Community health centre

Broken bone (no open wound), deep cut needing stitches, severe allergic reaction (after using EpiPen), high fever in a child. Some community health centres operate 24 hours and can handle these. Check before going.

Non-urgent → Clinic (during hours)

Persistent cough, rash, earache, mild fever, repeat prescription. Visit during clinic hours (07:00-16:00 weekdays). Using emergency rooms for non-emergencies overloads the system and delays care for critically ill patients.

Step 3: What happens at casualty

When you arrive at a public hospital emergency room (casualty):

  1. Triage — a triage nurse assesses every patient on arrival and assigns a colour code:
    Red— Life-threatening. Seen immediately. Orange— Very urgent. Seen within 10 minutes. Yellow— Urgent. Seen within 60 minutes. Green— Non-urgent. May wait 4+ hours.
  2. Treatment — emergency doctors stabilise you: stop bleeding, manage pain, run basic tests (blood, X-ray), start IV fluids or medication.
  3. Outcome — after assessment, you are either: discharged with instructions, admitted to a ward, transferred to a specialist hospital, or referred back to your clinic for follow-up.

Important: triage is based on medical severity, not time of arrival. A patient who arrives after you but is in worse condition will be seen first. This is how it should work — trust the system.

What to bring

  1. ID or passport (if available — treatment will not be refused without it)
  2. Green clinic card or any medical records
  3. List of current medications (or bring the actual boxes/bottles)
  4. Medical aid card (if applicable — not required for public hospital emergency)
  5. Phone charger and water — waits can be long

Your rights

The Constitution (Section 27) and the National Health Act (Section 5) protect your right to emergency treatment:

  1. No one can be refused emergency treatment — not by a public or private hospital
  2. Payment is sorted after treatment — you are never required to pay upfront for emergency care
  3. Foreign nationals are covered — regardless of documentation status
  4. Private hospitals must stabilise you before considering transfer to a public facility

Find a 24-hour emergency facility

560 facilities in our database offer 24-hour emergency services.

Browse emergency facilities

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be turned away from a public emergency room? +
No. Section 27 of the Constitution guarantees the right to emergency medical treatment. No one — regardless of nationality, immigration status, ability to pay, or medical aid membership — can be turned away from emergency treatment. If you are refused, get the name of the person who refused you and contact the Health Ombud: 012 366 7599.
How much does emergency treatment cost? +
Emergency treatment is free at public facilities for people who cannot pay. After stabilisation, if you are admitted to hospital, fees are means-tested based on your income. South African citizens earning below a threshold (updated annually) pay nothing. Foreign nationals without documentation still receive emergency treatment first — billing is sorted later.
Should I call an ambulance or drive to the hospital? +
Call an ambulance (10177) if: the person is unconscious, having a seizure, struggling to breathe, has a suspected spinal injury, or is too injured to move safely. Drive to the hospital if: the person is conscious, alert, can sit upright, and you can get there faster than an ambulance (which may take 30-60+ minutes in some areas). If in doubt, call 10177 — the dispatcher will advise you.
What is the difference between a clinic and an emergency room? +
Clinics handle routine primary healthcare during business hours (07:00-16:00 weekdays). They do not have doctors on site 24/7, cannot do surgery, and cannot manage severe trauma or life-threatening conditions. Emergency rooms (casualty) at hospitals operate 24 hours, have doctors, surgical capacity, blood supplies, and resuscitation equipment. For anything life-threatening, go to a hospital, not a clinic.
What if the nearest public hospital is far away? +
Call 10177 for an ambulance. If the situation is immediately life-threatening and an ambulance is too far away, go to ANY hospital — including private hospitals. Private hospitals are legally required to stabilise emergency patients regardless of medical aid status (National Health Act Section 5). They may transfer you to a public hospital once stabilised, but they cannot refuse initial treatment.
Sources: Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Section 27. National Health Act 61 of 2003, Section 5. South African Triage Scale (SATS). Emergency Medical Services regulations — National Department of Health. Health Professions Act — duty of care provisions.