Violence against ambulance services: a growing crisis in KZN

Durban — Two private ambulance services in Durban claim that paramedics often come under verbal abuse and are threatened with violence when they attend to patients at collisions or call outs.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane condemned an incident in which one of the department’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) vehicles was stoned by community members in eShowe on Sunday.

The ambulance was pelted with stones. Simelane said EMS paramedics were responding to a motor vehicle accident (MVA) involving a motorbike at Obanjeni Reserve when they came under attack by members of the public.

It is alleged that while the EMS team was stabilising the biker, a commotion broke out between bystanders and the biker's friends. Simelane said that tensions escalated, and members of the community began pelting the biker's friends with stones. Simelane said in an effort to avoid harm, the EMS personnel grabbed their medical tools and fled as the crowd began throwing stones at the ambulance. The windshield was damaged.

“What happened in eShowe is disturbing and deeply regrettable. We condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Damaging state property is a crime, and it's even worse when our EMS crews get attacked while trying to help people who are distressed and desperate for help,’’ said Simelane.

She added that the department needed all EMS vehicles on the road, serving the people of KZN. She said the damage to this ambulance will inevitably cause downtime, as repairs must be made to ensure its safety and roadworthiness.

A case of damage to property has been registered with eShowe SAPS.

Two privately owned ambulance companies shared their concerns about safety.

Prem Balram, spokesperson for Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) Ambulance service said they send out a security team with paramedics when they attend to patients in high-risk areas, especially where incidents of mob justice and kangaroo courts occur. Balram said certain communities become volatile when medical assistance is given to a person who is suspected of committing a crime.

“Often our security officers are sent to the scene first to assess the situation and then paramedics are called in. In one unique incident during a protest, we had to use a helicopter to transport paramedics into an area because the road was blocked. Criminals are lurking everywhere and see paramedics as soft targets,” Balram said.

Gareth Naidoo, spokesperson for KZN VIP Security and ambulance said paramedics in Phoenix experience similar incidents of violence against them. Naidoo said in the most recent case along Ridgecroft and Phoenix highway, there was a motor vehicle collision.

Naidoo added that paramedics also had incidents where bikers did not allow medics to work and became violent.

“We have had incidents in the townships where paramedics were threatened to be killed if they did not attend to every patient even if it was just one ambulance on the scene. In these types of situations unfortunately, where the lives of medics have been threatened they are to do whatever they need to, in order to get to safety,” Naidoo said.

In other reported incidents by IO:

• In July 2023, a Midlands EMS ambulance was hijacked at gunpoint by a suspect who had just been involved in an accident on the N3 near Lions River.
• In July 2021, private ambulances were prevented from attending to emergencies in Verulam. KZN VIP Medical said they were unable to reach a critically sick patient after people pelted a response vehicle with rocks and stones.
• In December 2020, paramedics employed at St Michael’s private ambulance service and EMS came under attack from an angry mob who threw rocks at the ambulances and began to physically hit the vehicle in an attempt to gain entry into the ambulance near Lions River in the Midlands.
• In October 2016, paramedics were robbed of cash and cellphones at Howick Falls while on standby for call-outs when they were accosted by a knife-wielding man.

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