While attending to a maternity case in Jeppestown two paramedics from the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) Emergency Management Services (EMS) were robbed at gunpoint.
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CoJ EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi, said the paramedics responded to the emergency on May 23.
“While treating the patient in the ambulance, two armed men came from nowhere and pointed the firearms at the paramedics.
“They demanded belongings such as cell phones and money which paramedics handed over to them. They also took the ambulance keys and left, leaving the patient and paramedics on the side of the road,” said Mulaudzi.
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After requesting assistance another ambulance was called to transport the patient to the hospital.
Mulaudzi said the paramedics are receiving counselling from the Internal Employee Assistance Program office and the Chaplaincy office.
The matter was reported to Jeppestown Police Station for further investigation.
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Mulaudzi said this incident occurred two weeks after three of CoJ’s EMS paramedics were robbed at gunpoint in Alexandra while attending to a patient in distress.
“We have seen an escalation in the number of incidents where paramedics are robbed while rendering essential service to the citizens of the city of Johannesburg,” said Mulaudzi.
“We condemn in strongest terms this barbaric behaviour by these criminal elements who are on a mission to disrupt the delivery of an essential service to our communities throughout the city of Johannesburg.”
The CoJ EMS urges community members to protect Emergency Services personnel by reporting these criminal elements to the police so that they can continue saving lives and properties of the city of Johannesburg citizens.
