Johannesburg - The Professional Board for Emergency Care, under the umbrella of the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA), has condemned the acts of violence and criminality against paramedics who were assaulted over the past weekend in Tshwane.
In a statement, the HPCSA said that in each of the shocking attacks, emergency care professionals were targeted and hijacked when responding to hoax distress calls that lured them to secluded areas where they were ambushed, kidnapped, and robbed of their valuables.
According to the HPCSA, there has been a sharp increase in attacks on emergency care workers in Gauteng and various other parts of the country.
The chairperson of the Professional Board for Emergency Care, Dr Simpiwe Sobuwa, said they were outraged by the latest brutal acts and called on law enforcement authorities to move swiftly in apprehending the perpetrators.
“Should the public have any information regarding these acts of violence, the board is requesting assistance in reporting the perpetrators to law enforcement,” said Sobuwa.
The HPCSA said that emergency care requires immediate response to save lives. The situation is becoming more dire, with some areas classified as hot spots where responses to emergency calls require armed escorts by either the police or private security firms.
“As a result, this interferes with the services that are being provided by the emergency care services and it puts the lives and well-being of the public at risk,” said the medical body.
The Star