Protea South resident Sarah Bezuidenhout (44) died on Friday, she was reportedly refused assistance by ambulance workers last week despite being very sick.
Her boyfriend carried her to the Chiawelo Clinic more than a kilometre away from Protea South, at the clinic they placed her on a drip and sent her back home.
Local DA councillor Maureen Mnisi said Bezuidenhout’s condition deteriorated on Friday, but the EMS call centre refused to send an ambulance when they heard she was in the informal settlement.
She pleaded for an ambulance but Bezuidenhout died before firefighters came six hours later in the evening. Bezuidenhout may have lived if the emergency services had arrived in time.
DA MPL Jack Bloom said it is totally inexcusable for ambulances to avoid picking up people in informal settlements.
“I am absolutely appalled at the refusal by Johannesburg ambulances to pick up a patient from the Protea South informal settlement in Soweto because she was “too dirty”.
“I have referred this issue to Gauteng Health MEC Hope Papo for investigation.
“I must ensure that people in informal settlements are not denied their basic right to emergency assistance,” he said.
