Palliative Care

How To Access Palliative Care

Although the World Health Organisation recognises access to palliative care as a fundamental human right, current estimates are that only about 18% of those who need palliative care in South Africa are able to access this. Although the government has been slow to fund and prioritise the roll-out of palliative care, it is available through the public health system in some provinces, particularly the Western Cape. Furthermore, increasingly, medical aids in South Africa are willing to pay for this and if you are insured, you should ask your provider what they cover.

Hospices, which run on a non-profit basis, offer high-quality care and are located in all nine provinces. Hospices typically require referral from a doctor or a nurse, but each hospice will have their own admissions requirements.  A nominal admissions fee will be payable and, if your medical insurance does not cover palliative care, this can be provided on a donations basis depending on the capacity of the individual hospice. To determine if there is a hospice near to you visit https://apcc.org.za/find-a-palliative-care-centre/ 

To find out if there are healthcare professionals in your area with palliative care training, please visit https://palprac.org/palliative-care/find-a-provider/