Paramedics working in Soweto say they fear for their lives after two colleagues were beaten up and robbed at a hostel in Diepkloof.
Police said the two were responding to a call when they were led to the Diepkloof hostel, where they were robbed by three men at about 4pm on Wednesday.
A 20-year-old woman found in possession of a medical bag believed to have been stolen from the ambulance was arrested at the hostel that evening. Police are looking for three other suspects.
“The paramedics were driving down Martinus Drive in Diepkloof, when they were stopped by an unknown man who told them he knew where the patient was. The suspect got into the ambulance and led the paramedics to Diepkloof hostel,” police spokeswoman Captain Nomvula Mbense said.
“At the hostel, they met another man who was in the company of a woman. He got into the ambulance under the pretence that he also knew where the patient was, and they drove into the hostel complex.”
Mbense said the two robbers were joined by a third man. The trio then tied up the paramedics and beat them.
“They then stole a medical bag and two medical machines from the ambulance. The paramedics were also searched and robbed of a cellphone and R600 in cash,” she said. Mbense said one robber drove the ambulance to Martinus Drive, where he left it with have safety concerns.
“Criminals are out to get us and I don’t think panic buttons are effective because the security company could take too long to respond, and it might be too late when they arrive. Panic buttons are not a solution,” said one paramedic.
Another said they had more to fear since beginning to use Toyota Quantums, which he said were targets for hijackers and car thieves.
“Every time I respond to a call in those vehicles, I fear for my life. We are always alert, but ever since that sad incident on our female colleagues last year, we have become even more concerned over our safety,” he said.
“Concerns have been raised with our employers and although they understand, they say we cannot be escorted by police every time we respond to a call.
“I think that the government should employ people to protect us so that we can continue saving lives.”
A provincial EMS paramedic said their emergency vehicles did not have anything like panic buttons.
“With us, safety is never really guaranteed, but we’re taught at training not to approach any scene where we feel our lives are threatened.
“The challenge is that while we put our safety first, it is the innocent patients who suffer and their lives who are lost,” he said.
ER24, another emergency and ambulance service, said they had learnt valuable lessons from the Durban Deep incident.
“Our policy is that a female must always be paired with a male colleague in an ambulance. We also have a very good radio and cellphone system, as well as panic buttons in our vehicles,” said ER24 spokeswoman Vanessa Jackson.
“It has also been emphasised to our paramedics not to go into any area where they feel unsafe, like a shooting scene. (They should) wait for protection,” she said. - The Star