TWO paramedics had to flee for their lives early yesterday morning when their ambulance came under attack in Nyanga.
They were patrolling along New Eisleben when they heard stones slamming into the ambulance.
This is the second attack on emergency medical services staff in Nyanga in less than a month.
Yesterday, Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Robert Daniels said they could not confirm how many people had been involved in the attack.
Stones and other objects were continually hurled at the ambulance and the windows shattered.
Daniels said the crew radioed in to say they were under attack and were withdrawing from the area. They were not injured.
Daniels said counselling was made available to crew members who fell victim to crime.
Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo earlier this year announced her department would inject a further R185 million towards safeguarding patients, workers and facilities.
This was because the department was prioritising the safety of health-care workers and patients after an increase in criminals targeting facilities and emergency personnel on duty.
Mbombo’s spokesperson, Luyanda Mfeka, said yesterday: “Ensuring the safety and security of staff remains a high priority for the department.
"We maintain interactions with SAPS and other roleplayers to address the problem as far as possible.
“However, the impact of crime and violence on our services is an issue that the department cannot resolve purely on its own. This is a societal issue that affects us all.”
He said they would continue to urge communities to assist the department in securing the safety of their staff by providing information on criminal activity to the SAPS .
Police spokesperson Andre Traut said they had no record of the incident.