Three City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) paramedics were held at gunpoint and robbed while attending to a patient in Yeoville in the early hours of Friday morning.
“An armed man pointed a firearm at them while they were treating a patient in the ambulance, and demanded their belongings, including their wallets and cellphones,” said Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng Shadow for Health Jack Bloom.
Bloom said, “He then fled after they handed over their belongings.
“They were fortunately not injured but obviously suffer from the shock of his incident.
“It seems that nothing is sacred anymore when people saving lives are attacked in an ambulance.”
“There has been an increase in such incidents according to Johannesburg EMS, which highlights the need for great law enforcement in general.
“This type of thing can only happen because perpetrators have no morality and think they can get away with anything.
“I hope that the police catch the perpetrator in this incident who should get an aggravated sentence for attacking medical personnel,” he said.
EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said, “While the crew was busy treating the patient in the patient compartment of the ambulance, one armed man came from nowhere and pointed a firearm at them and demanded all their belongings, including their wallets and cellphones.
“The paramedics handed the items over to the suspect and the man fled.”
Mulaudzi confirmed that there were no injuries to the medics and they were receiving counselling.
“EMS has had an increase in the number of incidents where paramedics have been robbed while rendering their vital services to the community.
“We condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric behaviour by these criminals, and urged communities in the city of Johannesburg to protect us as emergency services personnel while doing what we do best, saving the lives and properties of the citizens of the city,” said Mulaudzi.
