Getting shot at is all in a night’s work

Johannesburg paramedics don’t often get shot at, but they do find themselves in dangerous situations more often than not.

This follows a shooting in Quellerina, west of Johannesburg on Sunday night when a hijacker fired on ER 24 paramedics responding to an accident.

ER 24 spokesman Werner Vermaak told The Times he and another paramedic found themselves under fire just after 6pm at the corner of Sentinel and Fourteenth Avenue.
He said: “It was a very unfortunate incident. We often respond to incidents where shootings have occurred, but seldom get shot at.”

Vermaak said there were dangerous situations, such as the incident last week at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto where paramedics were threatened and intimidated.

Johannesburg EMS spokesman Malcolm Midgley said there was another incident in Alexandra over the weekend when people threw stones at a fire engine.
Midgley said: “I’m not sure what motivated the incident, but sometimes they believe we are responding late to a call and that is how they react. Fortunately, these cases don’t happen often.”

He said on Friday night an ambulance was damaged in Matholiesville township, but the reason was still unknown.

Most paramedics, however, continue to save lives despite facing danger, trying to get to their patients regardless of the situation.

In some instances they wait for police escorts, said Vermaak.
The recent 10-day public sector strike has also led to several incidents where paramedics have been threatened.

But, said Midgley, paramedics are told daily by the provincial health department which hospitals to take patients to.

He said that they were coping with the increased workload which had been generated by the striking workers.

Article by: Sipesihle Mguga of The Times