The Professional Board for Emergency Care has strongly condemned the attack on emergency workers in Tshwane over the weekend.
The board, which falls under the ambit of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), said there has been a sharp increase in attacks on emergency care workers in Gauteng and various other parts of the country.
During the most recent incident, emergency workers responded to a call for help for a 48-year-old male who collapsed from an unknown condition in Nellmapius, near Mamelodi.
However, when the paramedics arrived they were hijacked, kidnapped, assaulted and robbed of their personal cellphones and other working tools.
Spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Health, Motalatale Modiba said the criminals also used EMS staff’s cards to withdraw money.
Dr Simpiwe Sobuwa, Chairperson of the Professional Board for Emergency Care, said in each of these “shocking” attacks, emergency care professionals were targeted and hijacked when responding to hoax distress calls.
“We are outraged by these latest brutal acts and call on law enforcement authorities to move swiftly in apprehending the perpetrators of these crimes,” said Sobuwa.
Sobuwa said emergency care requires immediate action to save lives.
“Currently the situation is getting more dire with some areas classified as hotspots where responses to emergency calls require armed escorts by either the police or private security firms. As a result, this interferes with the services that are being provided by the Emergency Care Services and it puts the lives and well-being of the public at risk, " Sobuwa added.
Sobuwa urged any members of the public who may have information regarding these incidents to report them to police.
IOL News