24-hour emergency

Section 27 of the South African Constitution guarantees the right to emergency medical treatment — no facility can turn you away, regardless of your ability to pay or documentation status. Emergency departments use the South African Triage Scale (SATS) to prioritise patients: red (immediate, life-threatening), orange (very urgent, <10 min), yellow (urgent, <60 min), green (routine, may wait hours). Arriving by ambulance does not guarantee faster treatment — triage is based on clinical severity, not mode of arrival. The national emergency number is 10177 for public ambulances, or 112 from any mobile phone.

What to expect

Who is eligible?

Everyone. No exceptions. Emergency treatment cannot be refused or delayed for documentation, payment, or any other reason. This is a constitutional right under Section 27(3).

Read the full guide

Our guide covers everything in detail: step-by-step process, FAQs, and practical tips.

Eastern Cape (82)

Free State (17)

Gauteng (106)

KwaZulu-Natal (127)

Limpopo (55)

Mpumalanga (33)

North West (56)

Northern Cape (18)

Western Cape (56)