Paramedics shot, robbed

TWO paramedics were shot and robbed of their valuables after they responded to a fake emergency call in Inanda, north of Durban.

It is alleged that they had responded to a maternity call-out yesterday morning, just after 3am, when they met a man who was meant to take them to the pregnant woman.

The man got into the back of the vehicle and led the crew down a dirt road for a few metres.

He then produced a firearm and demanded the paramedics’ valuables.

A scuffle ensued and the man shot one of the medics in the back, while the female medic was shot in the wrist.

The medics flagged down a police van that was patrolling the area and were able to get medical help.

The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health, Nomagugu SimelaneZulu, said the attack was “sad and barbaric”.

“When incidents such as these occur, you really start to ask yourself questions. How can you tell if a call is about a real emergency? And what will happen if we stop responding to emergency calls at night altogether? People will die because this is an essential service,” she said.

Simelane-Zulu said it was important that communities worked together with law enforcement authorities to identify criminals.

The IFP’s spokesperson for Health in KZN, Ncamisile Nkwanyana, called for the police to escort paramedics to high-risk areas.

“It is unacceptable that paramedics are expected to work in these conditions while the department fails to take action,” she said.

Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele confirmed that they were investigating charges of attempted murder and robbery. |