Cullinan – Two people died when Gauteng emergency medical services (EMS) paramedics came under fire while they were attending to a patient in Cullinan on Saturday evening, the Gauteng health department said.
Paramedics were returning to an EMS base at about 6.30pm when they came across what looked like a dead body lying on the side of the road next to the entrance of Refiloe township in Cullinan, the department said in a statement.
"While they were trying to attend to the patient two vehicles appeared and randomly started shooting at the direction of the paramedics. The paramedics had to escape the scene, abandoning the patient and the ambulance. Two people were declared dead on the scene."
Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa was deeply concerned about the safety of EMS personnel, the department said. She urged communities to work with law enforcement agencies to prevent such incidents.
The department had arranged post-traumatic stress counselling for the affected EMS officials, the statement said.
No further information about the shooting was provided.