Healthcare hoodwinked

I visited the emergency unit at Life Kingsbury in Claremont on 22 June. I was suffering from immense chest pains and so I was rushed to the hospital. Once treated, with paracetamol as I was just experiencing muscle inflammation, I was handed a bill of R2400. I am a 22 year old student without medical aid. I paid for the bill that evening using all the money I had saved up from tutoring. 2 months later I received a call from the hospital saying I owe them. I have now received a final demand letter. This leads me to pose 3 questions: 1. How can a person leave a place not knowing they owe anyone and then be sent a final demand? 2. How does an ailment that can be treated by paracetamol accumulate charges of over R2400? 3. If I do pay this "outstanding" amount what prevents life healthcare from calling me next week saying that I "owe" them some more???!!

This is unacceptable. The options available because of how they are running the hospital is to die from chest pains or die from starvation once treated as they claim all your student savings and threaten you with legal action.