KZN ambulances targeted

ATTEMPTED HIJACK: ASSAILANT CLINGS TO CRASH BAR AS VEHICLE DRIVES AWAY

Bystanders pull suspect off vehicle before subduing and beating him.

The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) department of health says it is alarmed by attacks on paramedics in the province and has appealed to the public to protect ambulance crews when they respond to call-outs.

In a statement released by the KZN health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo he “expressed shock” at the attacks on health professionals.

The MEC was reacting to an attempted hijacking of an Emergency Medical Services crew at Slangspruit in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday night.

“It is alleged that the two-person crew had been responding to a distress phone call from a maternity patient – whom they ultimately could not find – when they were approached by four men and a woman,” said the health department in the statement issued by spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi.

Two men from the group confronted the crew at both the passenger’s and driver’s doors, demanding that they open the ambulance. The group claimed one of them had been injured and needed medical attention.

“When the crew member informed them that the EMS vehicle had been dispatched for a maternity case, one of the men allegedly jumped on to the crash bar of the vehicle and deliberately broke the windscreen.”

The driver drove off with the man hanging on to it.

“When the vehicle reached a set of traffic lights, some bystanders witnessed what was happening and pulled the man off the vehicle and subdued him before allegedly assaulting him,” the department said.

The EMS crew drove towards its base, when they came across a Saps vehicle and summoned help.

“We are concerned by the spate of incidents in recent months whereby healthcare workers leave their workplace in their quest to bring emergency health care to communities, but instead fall victim to crime,” said Dhlomo.

“It affects our ability to fulfil our core mandate, which is to save lives. Such attacks on health workers and government property should be condemned by all, as they could result in paramedics refusing to go to certain areas.

“Even during the days that we were fighting apartheid, nurses and ambulances were never attacked. Instead they would be given safe passage and protected to attend to those shot by the enemy.” – ANA