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Patient's rights are a widely studied field, not only in South Africa but across the globe as well. South Africa has one of the most progressive patient's rights charters in the world, yet not all South Africans are aware of this. Here is a list of some of your rights as a patient, both in the public and private health sector of South Africa.
You have the following rights when it comes to medical care:
- You should receive emergency medical treatment at the closest hospital, even if you don't have medical aid. Once you are stabilised you can be transferred to a state facility.
- A safe and healthy environment
- You should participate in the decision making concerning your disease and treatment
- You have the right to the following health care services:
- Treatment and rehabilitation
- Provision for special needs
- Counselling
- Palliative care
- Health information
- Information about your health insurance/medical scheme
- A choice of health care services
- Receive treatment from a named health care provider
- Confidentiality and privacy
- Informed consent
- Referral for a second opinion
- Continuity of care
However, with rights comes responsibilities and as a patient you also have certain duties you have to fulfill to ensure you personal health and well-being. Some of them are:
- To take care of your health
- To care and protect the environment
- To respect the rights of other patients and health care providers
- To provide your health care provider with accurate and relevant personal information for the purpose of diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and counselling.
At Adele van der Walt Attorneys we investigate and litigate cases where patient's rights have been scarred. If you believe you have been the victim of negligence or malpractice, contact us today and find out what you can do.
For more information on this subject, please give us a call at 012 460 3668 (SA)
or e-mail us at linda@avdw.co.za
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