Injured Gogo (86) aided by community as protests halts ambulance
The 86-year-old grandmother, on her mattress, was lifted into a family member’s vehicle and rushed to hospital.
The community of Eersterust came to the rescue of an injured 86-year-old woman after ambulance services were apparently delayed due to violent protests in Mamelodi.
This was according to concerned community member Virginia Keppler, who was on the scene Monday night after the Gogo had injured her hip and knee.
“Her hip was badly broken on her right side, as well as her knee,” said Keppler.
She said the community struggled to get any assistance from state ambulance services and then decided to jump in and help the injured woman themselves.
“We carried her out of the house on the mattress of her bed to load her onto the back of a family member’s bakkie with a canopy,” said Keppler.
She said seven people helped to carefully carry the woman out on the mattress.
“The community members, including myself, the interim PA Tshwane spokesperson, Godfrey Williams and her family members helped.”
Keppler said: “It was heartbreaking as she was in terrible pain; we were very happy and relieved when she was finally wheeled in on a stretcher at Steve Biko Hospital.”
She said the community was still concerned that the elderly woman had not immediately received treatment at the hospital.
“We will give an update on her progress as soon as we learn more.”
Keppler wrote a thank you note to the community members involved on social media:
“Thank you to oom Bok and oom Derick (Eersterust CPF) and to Cathy and Jolene Morgan at Patrick’s Undertakers for the coffee. And to leader Godfrey for the muscle with the ouma and leader Alain on business watch.”
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