THE Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, has pleaded with residents to not take the law into their own hands and hinder operations of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel.
She said the job of the EMS personnel was to indiscriminately provide medical care to those who need it.
The call comes after a patient was killed inside an ambulance during a mob attack that happened on Monday night, 21 November, at Mshongoville Informal Settlement in Atteridgeville, west of Tshwane.
The incident has left the EMS personnel traumatised.
“This is totally unacceptable. We cannot allow society to degenerate like this. Mob justice or taking the law into our own hands cannot be the answer to addressing some of the socio-economic issues affecting communities. There has to be a better way,” said MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko.
According to Gauteng Health head of communications Motalatale Modiba, the EMS personnel came under attack while treating an assaulted patient who was in a critical state.
“A call was made to the Gauteng Emergency Communication Centre at around 7.44pm. An ambulance was dispatched to the area at 8pm. Police escort was requested to allow the response team to enter the area safely. The patient was found already on the ground surrounded by the community. The paramedics were able to initiate treatment and prepared to transport the patient to the nearest hospital,” said Modiba.
Modiba said that as the ambulance was getting ready to leave the scene, community members started throwing stones and barricaded the road to prevent the ambulance from leaving.
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They were accusing the patient of some crime and demanded justice on the spot.
“The EMS personnel ran for cover as they were now under attack. Unfortunately, the patient was further fatally assaulted while lying on an ambulance stretcher. The ambulance was also extensively damaged and some medical equipment stolen,” he added.
“Attacks on our personnel have dire consequences as they make it difficult for them to provide access to healthcare services. I will be further engaging the Community Safety Department and community structures to see how we can work together to strengthen some of the interventions that are already in place to curb such incidents,” explained MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko.
The EMS personnel who were attacked went for medical observation at Kalafong Hospital and will be attending counselling sessions as part of the Employee Health Wellness Programme.
