Paramedics fight while treating patients after taxi accident
One of the paramedics was allegedly stabbed on the back during the fight.
Emer-G-Med has denied that one of its paramedics stabbed a colleague from Dial-A-Medic at the scene of a taxi accident early on Monday morning.
“It was our staff member that was attacked and as a result he has sustained facial lacerations and a ruptured eardrum,” said Jurgen Kotze, chief operating officer of Emer-G-Med.
“We can confirm that no incident of a stabbing took place on this scene,” Emer-G-Med said in a statement issued on Twitter on Tuesday morning.
The incident is alleged to have occurred on the R55 in Midrand after both ambulance services as well as others responded to a call of a head on collision involving two taxis around 6.20am.
“I was talking to him regarding the treatment of patients and he started insulting me. The argument then led to a physical fight,” said the victim from Dial-A-Medic.
He alleged an Emer-G-Med ILS practitioner stabbed him with a knife in his back. He told Express on Monday morning he had not yet opened a case at the time as he was still in hospital waiting for X-ray results. He was transported to hospital by CareWell EMS.
According to Emer-G-Med’s statement its ILS member was actively treating a patient when he was “viciously assaulted” by what appeared to have been an ambulance driver.
“Our advanced life support paramedic intervened, removed our ILS member out of harm’s way and continued rendering emergency care to injured patients,” said Emer-G-Med.
Const Thabiso Selowa, spokesperson for Midrand SAPS, confirmed that a case had been opened by the Emer-G-Med member.
The matter had also been reported to the Health Professions Council of SA, according to Emer-G-Med.
Emer-G-Med transported two patients from the accident scene.
