An emergency worker was shot in the leg by three armed men during the hijacking of an ambulance at a clinic between Hazyview and White River in Mpumalanga yesterday.

According to the Mpumalanga Department of Health, the incident occurred in the early hours of the morning.

The statement says two paramedics, a man and woman, were confronted by the three hijackers after returning from a call-out to their station at the Phola Nsikazi Clinic.

It adds that two of the hijackers held up the security personnel at gunpoint and took their personal belongings and security equipment, including handcuffs. The statement says the third hijacker forcefully took the ambulance inside the clinic premises with the paramedics on board.

The male paramedic tried to escape near the clinic gate, which is when the suspects shot him in the leg. The ambulance reportedly sped off with the female paramedic still inside.

The statement further says the woman was later able to escape while the suspects were searching for the tracker inside the vehicle. The ambulance was later found with minor damage to the cabin.

The health MEC, Sasekani Manzini, visited the clinic after the incident for a briefing on the incident.

She wished the injured paramedic a speedy recovery and said that the staff members affected by the incident would be referred for professional counselling.