The Tshwane emergency services say he will not hesitate to prioritize the safety of his staff if criminals continue to target paramedics.
A team of Tshwane emergency services was robbed of their personal belongings at a house in Soshanguve this morning after being lured there with a emergency call, said Charles Mabaso, spokesperson for the Tshwane emergency services.
“The Tshwane emergency call center received an emergency call asking for help for a patient struggling to breathe. An ambulance was immediately sent there, ”he said.
Upon arriving at the address, the house was dark and the gate closed. “They contacted the control center and asked that the person who made the call be notified of their arrival. While one of the crew members on the phone spoke to the call center, an unknown man knocked on the ambulance’s window and said he had called for help, ”Mabaso said.
He then pulled out a firearm and demanded their cell phones through the open window. The paramedics handed over their phones and were ordered to drive away.
They happened to notice an ambulance from the Gauteng Provincial Emergency Services and heard that the ambulance had been called to the same address.
“A case of armed robbery has been filed at Puthanong Police Station.”
The emergency services strongly condemned the incident. “Emergency workers are dedicated to caring for, treating and transporting sick or injured people – without prejudice. Any attack on crew and delinquency or cruelty to them should be considered a serious attack on a service that saves lives. It must be rejected by everyone in society, ”Mabaso said.
