KZN paramedics being targeted by criminals

File photo: Sizwe Ndingane

File photo: Sizwe Ndingane

Published Oct 20, 2016

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Durban - Private ambulance services in KwaZulu-Natal are under attack, with paramedics increasingly falling victim to criminals while on duty.

Two ER24 women paramedics were robbed of cash and cellphones at Howick Falls on Tuesday. The paramedics, aged 27 and 35, were on standby for call-outs when they were accosted by a knife-wielding man.

ER24 paramedics have fallen victim to at least 17 attacks and robberies, including the Howick incident, in the past two years alone. Most of the incidents have taken place at accident scenes.

Another private ambulance service, Sharaj Ambulances in Ladysmith, said its teams had been attacked and robbed four times already this year, while they escaped several attempts over the same period.

Both companies said the attacks were making it difficult for them to provide services in times of need.

ER24 spokesman, Chitra Bodasing Harduth, said a suspect in Tuesday’s robbery was arrested on Wednesday.

“Police officers raided a property in the Shiyabazali Informal Settlement near the robbery scene. The suspect was arrested and the cellular phones belonging to the paramedics were recovered. The knife was also recovered, and the man positively identified by the paramedics,” she said.

Police spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane, said a 20-year-old suspect would appear in court soon.

Last month, a paramedic was stabbed by the occupants of a vehicle involved in a collision in Pietermaritzburg. The paramedic was stabbed in the face and hand.

Five men were charged with aggravated assault and appeared in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court where they were granted bail.

Bodasing Harduth said paramedics were increasingly facing situations in which their lives were at threat.

Safeguard

“Attacks on paramedic crews have been going on for a long time. Crimes committed against them started increasing a few years ago.”

In an effort to safeguard their staff, ER24 launched an Emergency Medical Support in Hostile Environments course in 2011.

It is targeted at addressing concerns relating to violent crimes committed against emergency medical staff.

Bodasing Harduth said ER24 also worked with the police to keep up to date with trends and crime hot spots, to improve the safety of staff.

She said attacks on crews not only put their lives in danger, but also the lives of those needing medical attention.

“Vandalising or stealing emergency vehicles means fewer vehicles are available in case of an emergency. This ultimately increases the risk to patients,” Bodasing Harduth said.

She added the public and community leaders as well as others had a vital role to play in protecting paramedics.

Raj Mahabeer, Sharaj Ambulances owner, said his crew members were held at gunpoint at a scene where a man was shot, in Colenso, near Ladysmith, on Saturday.

“This year alone, our crews have been attacked and robbed four times. Sadly, these happen in the line of duty. We are left with no option but to warn our members not to attend to scenes until Road Traffic Inspectorate (officers) and the police get there first.

“We are losing people every day now and we are attending to between 400 and 500 cases every month. And our task to save lives is hampered by opportunist thugs who see easy targets in paramedics,” said Mahabeer.

He said in another recent incident, while attending to a vehicle crash, armed men slit the tyres of the ambulance and robbed the passengers of the vehicle.

“The two men were left in their underwear. Everything was taken. In ambulances, the thieves steal cellphones, wallets and bags which carry medical equipment. That equipment is expensive to replace,” Mahabeer said.

He called on communities to educate one another about the importance of having paramedics in times of need and protect them when they attended calls.

Daily News

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