Pretoria - Emergency services personnel will no longer enter some communities in Tshwane unless they are escorted by law-enforcement officials due to continuous attacks and robberies.
Several areas in the city have become unsafe for emergency services personnel to operate in without protection.
The areas include Itireleng informal settlement in Laudium, Jukulyn in Soshanguve, Eersterust in Mamelodi, New Eersterust, Winterveldt, Joe Slovo in Lebanon, Boekenhout, Itireleng in Olievenhoutbosch and Mshongoville informal settlement in Atteridgeville.
The Gauteng Department of Health and Wellness said the continuous attacks and robberies on its staff placed in danger the lives of those in need of urgent medical attention and undermined the government’s efforts to provide public healthcare.
MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, expressed concern at the attacks and robberies of health officials while in the line of duty after learning about new attacks in Lebanon and Boekenhout.
She said: “At the weekend, Emergency Medical Services members from Odi Base and patients were robbed of their belongings, including medical equipment.”
Nkomo-Ralehoko, who labelled these as “totally unacceptable events” revealed that in one incident two emergency personnel were robbed at gunpoint while responding to a case of difficulty in breathing at Lebanon, Winterveldt, just after midnight on Friday, December 16.
The crew was robbed of cellphones and personal belongings including an electrocardiogram and patient monitor equipment.
The next day another crew, from the same Odi Base, was robbed by armed attackers of their cellphones together with that of a patient at the gate of Boekenhout Clinic as they were about to transport the patient.
“We plead with community members to come forward with information that can assist the department and law-enforcement agencies to apprehend the perpetrators of these evil acts,” she said.
“Fortunately, no injuries were sustained. Our crews are undergoing trauma counselling to help them deal with the ordeal.
“The two incidents were reported at Mabopane police station. The latest attacks bring to 14 the number of incidents to date, in 2022 alone.”
Meanwhile, a number of areas in the province have been declared hot spots or red zone as they are deemed unsafe for emergency personnel. The hot spot areas include areas in the City of Ekurhuleni, West Rand and City of Joburg, with the highest number of hot spot areas being 26.
These include Hillbrow, George Goch Hostel, Denver Hostel, Yeoville, Kwa Mai Mai, Jeppe hostel, Discoverers, Zola, Alexander and Dube hostel.
Ekurhuleni only has Angelo informal settlement and Reiger Park mentioned, while the West Rand only has Spoko Town.
Pretoria News