Woman waits two hours for ambulance
Resident says the councillor could do better.
Editor: As a former City Councillor, it disturbs me deeply when City Councillors show such a lack of knowledge about the very officials and departments over which they have oversight and then run to the media to try and sensationalize an issue. Cllr Bongani Nkwakyana is one such Councillor.
EMS, JMPD and SAPS have to prioritize the calls they receive. When there is a life threatening situation, vehicles are dispatched to those situations first. Whilst I feel for the lady who fell, her life was not in danger so, therefore, she received care when an ambulance was available.
What I would have done in this situation, having made a point of going on first aid training as a City Councillor, is stop the bleeding, put her in my car and I would have personally taken her to the nearest clinic instead of leaving her sitting on the pavement for two hours.
As a public representative, I made a point of knowing basic first aid, carrying a first aid kit with me at all time and knowing how to handle such situations. I find Cllr Nkwakyana’s actions sorely lacking, ignorant and running to the media is opportunistic at best.
Allison van der Molen
