Pretoria - The disturbing attacks against the emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in Gauteng, who are mostly robbed while attending patients, came under spotlight on Friday during a march staged in Eersterust.
This followed after two paramedics were last month robbed at gunpoint in Mamelodi while attending to a female patient with PV bleeding.
The patient was already loaded into the ambulance when unknown gunmen ambushed the paramedics, demanding that they open the ambulance door. They then proceeded to rob the paramedics of their cellphones.
Local emergency services head, Von Bencke, said the incident deeply traumatised her colleagues who had to undergo counselling before resuming their duties.
On Friday, the EMS workers embarked on a 5km walk in a bid to raise awareness about the constant attacks on them.
Bencke said: “The march we took was an awareness campaign to ask the community to stop attacks on the paramedics. On January 19 one of the Mamelodi crews was robbed at gunpoint while attending to a patient. We want to make the community aware that we are also human beings and that they must stop attacking us because we are there to serve the community.”
While it was the first incident to be reported in the area, Bencke said there were to date 15 cases of attacks launched against the EMS workers in the 2021/22 financial year alone.
“The case was reported at Eersterust police station and it is still under investigation. From our side we sent the staff for counselling to allow them to consult with the department doctor,” he said.
He expressed relief that during the march the community received the message with “open arms” and some of the residents even took part in the campaign.
“What we want is for the community to assist us. When they see something like this happening they must phone the police immediately. Unfortunately during the recent incident we were left alone. We will never get rid of the criminal factor. We will always have the criminals,” he said.
Bencke said the paramedics under the Gauteng Department of Health would soon stage other marches in City of Joburg, Sedibeng and West Rand, where they were previously under attack.
Department spokesperson Philani Mhlungu said among the 15 cases reported this financial year were armed robbery and theft of ambulance equipment.
In other instances criminals vandalised ambulances, physically hurting EMS personnel and shooting at an EMS member.
The department said in a statement: “EMS is an important component of healthcare provision as it provides swift medical care and provides access to health facilities. The Gauteng Department of Health appeals to members of the community to protect EMS members and report criminals seen with ambulance equipment meant to save lives.”
Pretoria News