TWO Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers fell victim to a brazen robbery carried out by six armed individuals outside the Befile Clinic in KwaZakhele, Gqeberha, last week.
The incident unfolded when the suspects approached the EMS crew, threatening them with weapons, and forcefully seizing their personal belongings before making a swift escape. Despite the harrowing ordeal, the EMS workers managed to avoid physical harm, though the psychological impact of the attack has left them deeply shaken.
Department of Health spokesperson, Sizwe Kupelo, provided insights into the incident, telling PE Express that the perpetrators targeted the crew and made off with their cellphones and a wallet. He emphasised that while the EMS workers emerged physically unscathed, the traumatic experience has understandably rattled them.
South African Police Services (SAPS) spokesperson, Captain André Beetge, said that the assailants attempted to flee in the EMS vehicle, but ultimately abandoned it, opting to flee on foot instead.
In response to the escalating threats against EMS personnel, SAPS New Brighton detectives have initiated an investigation, categorising the incident as an attempted hijacking. Reflecting on the gravity of the situation, law enforcement authorities in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) have issued a call to all emergency workers, urging them to report to police stations for assistance in navigating high-risk areas. This proactive measure aims at safeguarding the well-being of both EMS staff and the patients they serve.
The brazen robbery serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by front-line healthcare workers, highlighting the need for concerted efforts to enhance security measures, and ensure their safety as they carry out their vital duties within communities.
Shortly after the attack, EMS workers drove in convoy from Dora Nginza Hospital to the City Hall in protest of their dangerous working conditions. An EMS worker participating in the protest said they are upset about the situation.
“What motivates us is the service we provide to the community. The trauma is still there, because we go back to the areas where we get attacked, but the need of the community is greater and keeps us going. It’s not area-specific; these attacks happen throughout Gqeberha,” the EMS worker stressed.
Among the songs the workers were singing, was the famous struggle song, Senzeni Na (What have we done?), expressing their pain and frustration.
In a memorandum handed over to the metro’s executive mayor, Gary van Niekerk, by EMS manager, Ashwell Botha, the workers said that within the 2023/2 financial year, there has been an estimated 20 incidences of EMS personnel attacks recorded, and the department is under surge from these criminal attacks which were experienced in the community during its operations. These attacks include armed robbery, hijacking, burning of state EMS vehicles, (vandalism), and verbal attacks.
The memorandum also listed six demands:
. Establish functional, integrated Ward- based structures that will deal with safety issues on monthly basis, led by councillors.
. Establish an interactive communication platform (WhatsApp) that will activate stakeholders to deploy safety measures in the community on a 24-hour basis.
. Integrate the Metro Police in securing the safety of the EMS in the community.
. Include healthcare worker safety as a standing item in the council for debate and monitoring.
. Provide a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with all relevant stakeholders to health worker safety issues.
. Introduce roadshows on community awareness for healthcare worker safety.
In response, Van Niekerk commended the workers for their zeal and dedication to their work, despite the challenges they face.
“You don’t often find peaceful protests, that are also so time-conscious because the workers are rushing back to do their jobs. That just goes to show that more than a protest, this is an awareness campaign,” said Van Niekerk.
He further applauded the EMS workers for going out and responding to the cries of the community, even when it means risking their lives.
“Being brutally attacked while on the way to providing help to people that need urgent medical assistance is not fair, and we as the municipality are committing ourselves to protecting you. I will sit with the relevant MMCs and implement the strategies we had already put in place,” he added.
The mayor concluded by saying that none of the six demands made by the EMS workers was unreasonable.
“My first port of call will be to contact the MEC of Health, to come down to the metro and engage with me, the workers, and management. Even in war-torn countries medical personnel are allowed to do their work to tend to the wounded. It therefore cannot be that there are no-go areas for medical personnel in our city. These opportunistic criminals are in the minority and must be stopped. It will take a collaborative effort by authorities, together with the affected communities, to address this blight on our good name.”
