Medic in double trouble over ‘taxi’ claims

AN emergency medical services official ostensibly caught redhanded using an ambulance as a taxi in the Free State is facing a double whammy – a disciplinary hearing and criminal charges.

The basic-life-support medic was lambasted by taxi operators during a confrontation caught on video at the Wepener station in Mangaung.

In the video‚ civilian passengers seated in the ambulance are seen holding their cellphones as the furore unfolds.

The medic‚ in his green uniform‚ appears to be inattentive as he is being scolded by taxi operators.

“Hey man‚ why are you loading these passengers? Is it your job or ours as taxis [taxi drivers]?” he is asked.

“Our job is to load passengers‚ yours is to load patients.

“I can see even when we speak to you that you even don’t get it.

“Give the passengers their money back so that you may be able to leave.

“And while you are at it, teach them where to get taxis.”

People are heard in the video claiming: “He is drunk. A case must be opened against him. This shows he is used to this.”

Free State health department spokesman Mondli Mvambi said yesterday that the official had been on duty when the video was recorded last week.

The man was immediately suspended and would face an internal disciplinary hearing.

Mvambi said the medic‚ who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when the video was recorded‚ was arrested but released on bail later.

“He will have a chance to state his case,” he said.

“It normally takes seven to 14 working days before a person is called in to appear, but it is still the first weeks of January.

“People are still returning to work.”

In a radio interview earlier, Mvambi said: “We learnt he was, indeed, [allegedly] giving illegal lifts to people and extorting money out of them when he was on duty‚ which is an offence on its own.

“Then we learnt also that the police managed to arrest him because he was also [allegedly] under the influence of alcohol on duty.”–TimesLIVE