Emergency medical treatment cannot be refused — not by any hospital, clinic, or health worker, regardless of your ability to pay. Reproductive health care ...
FreeChapter 2 — Bill of RightsConstitution of South Africa, 1996
The Constitutional Text
What Section 27 Says
(1) Everyone has the right to have access to— (a) health care services, including reproductive health care; (b) sufficient food and water; and (c) social security, including, if they are unable to support themselves and their dependants, appropriate social assistance. (2) The state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of these rights. (3) No one may be refused emergency medical treatment.
What This Means for You
Plain-Language Explanation
Practical Significance
Emergency medical treatment cannot be refused — not by any hospital, clinic, or health worker, regardless of your ability to pay. Reproductive health care is an explicit right.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a hospital turn me away if I cannot pay?
No. Section 27(3) is absolute: no one may be refused emergency medical treatment. This applies to all public and private hospitals. A patient in need of emergency care must be stabilised regardless of ability to pay. Refusal can be reported to the SAHRC and the National Department of Health.
Does Section 27 include a right to adequate food?
Yes — Section 27(1)(b) gives everyone the right to sufficient food and water. The state must progressively realise this. Courts have ordered the state to provide food and water in crisis situations affecting vulnerable communities.
The Advocate gives you 149 real South African scenarios — with exact rebuttals grounded in the Constitution, statute law, and Scripture. Know your rights. Know your word.