Protect paramedics to allow them to attend to emergencies, pleads MEC

Gauteng MEC for Health Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has urged residents to protect Emergency Management Services (EMS) and paramedics to ensure better service delivery when they attend to emergencies.

Ralehoko made the remarks during a sitting of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature recently.

Improvements in EMS

Ralehoko said since the Gauteng Executive Council took a decision in 2009 to provincialise Emergency Medical Services (EMS), in line with the National Health Act, there has been a notable improvement in services of EMS in the City of Johannesburg.

“The creation of one emergency number (112), as compared to many numbers that were used by the Local Authority. Gauteng EMS has no boundaries between metros and districts and resources can be activated from any Metropolitan Municipality or District.”

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The City of Johannesburg EMS provincialisation was concluded in January 2020.

Challenges

However, Ralehoko said despite all the gains, the provincialisation of EMS is not immune to challenges.

“These range from service delivery protests which delay calls to emergencies, damages caused on ambulances and response cars due to community attacks to paramedic attacks which impact on the EMS operational strength due to lengthy sick leave from injuries (mental and physical injuries).”

Attacks on EMS

She said the classification of certain areas in the City of Johannesburg as hot zone (from previous attacks and service delivery protests) means EMS officials must wait for South African Police Services escort to go to the scene.

“The Department would like to plead with community members not to interfere, intimidate, or attack paramedics as they attend to emergencies.”  

Ralehoko said the attack of EMS personnel will have dire consequences for communities as crews will end up not being able to respond to emergencies or being delayed when called by the very same community during an emergency.

“We should not allow criminals to deny citizens their right to access emergency medical services”, added Ralehoko.

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