Emergency information

When DropDr is not the right route.

DropDr connects you to professionals who choose when they are available. That is not the same as a service that must respond immediately. In an emergency, go to the services that are obliged to.

If someone is in immediate danger, stop reading and call for help now. In South Africa, 112 reaches emergency services from any mobile phone, including one with no airtime and no SIM. 10177 reaches ambulance services directly.

Keep these somewhere you can find them

Emergency numbers in South Africa

112

Emergency services from any mobile phone. Works without airtime and without a SIM card.

Call 112

10177

Ambulance and emergency medical services, reachable from a landline or mobile.

Call 10177

10111

South African Police Service, for crime and situations involving danger to a person.

Call 10111

Numbers are provided for convenience and may change. If one does not connect, try another or go directly to your nearest emergency department.

Go now, do not book

Signs that mean emergency care, not a consultation

This list is not exhaustive. If you are uncertain whether something is an emergency, treat it as one — that is the safer error to make.

Breathing difficulty

Struggling to breathe, unable to speak in full sentences, lips or face turning blue.

Chest pain

Chest pain or pressure, especially with sweating, nausea, or pain spreading to the arm, neck or jaw.

Signs of stroke

Face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, sudden confusion. Note the time symptoms started.

Severe bleeding

Bleeding that will not stop with firm pressure, or a large volume of blood lost.

Unconsciousness

Anyone who cannot be woken, or who is confused and unresponsive.

Seizure

A first seizure, one lasting more than five minutes, or repeated seizures without recovery between.

Severe allergic reaction

Swelling of the face, lips or throat, widespread rash with breathing difficulty.

Serious injury or burns

Major trauma, suspected fractures, head injury with confusion, or extensive burns.

Risk to life

Anyone at immediate risk of harming themselves or another person.

Serious illness in a baby

A baby or small child who is floppy, will not feed, or has a rash that does not fade under pressure.

Why DropDr cannot be your emergency plan

Availability is a choice, not an obligation.

Being honest about this is more useful than reassuring language that gets someone hurt.

Professionals set their own availability — nobody is on standby for you
A remote consultation cannot examine, treat or transport you
No ambulance can be dispatched through the platform
A connection problem at the wrong moment costs time you may not have
Emergency services are obliged to respond; a platform is not

Basic steps

While you wait for help

General guidance only. Follow the instructions of the emergency operator over anything written here.

Stay with the person

Do not leave someone who is seriously unwell alone if you can avoid it.

Keep the line clear

Stay reachable so emergency services can call back with directions or instructions.

Make access easy

Unlock gates, turn on outside lights and send someone to meet the ambulance.

Gather information

Medicines, allergies, conditions and an identity document if you can find them quickly.