KZN Health MEC urges protection for Emergency Medical Services

KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has called on communities to safeguard EMS personnel from criminal acts that threaten their lives and hinder their ability to provide life-saving services.

Simelane praised EMS workers for their dedication in the face of danger.

“As we commemorate World Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Day on 17 October 2024, we salute all our EMS personnel, who do everything possible and even risk their own lives to come to the rescue of those who are in distress. You are our heroes, and we cannot thank you enough,” she said.

The MEC emphasised the critical role EMS personnel play in responding to emergencies, natural disasters, and health crises, providing not only medical expertise but also comfort to those in need.

However, she highlighted that essential workers are often targets of criminal attacks, including hijackings, assaults, and theft of medical equipment.

Last week, the Department's paramedics were responding to a motor vehicle accident involving a motorbike at Obanjeni Reserve, KZN, when they were attacked by members of the public.

Allegedly, while the EMS team was stabilising the biker, a commotion erupted between bystanders and the biker's friends, escalating tensions.

To avoid harm, the EMS personnel gathered their medical tools and fled as the crowd began throwing stones at the ambulance, damaging its windshield.

“These actions endanger not only the lives of EMS teams but also those in urgent need of care,” Simelane warned. She urged the public to respect and support EMS teams and to report any threats to their safety. “Criminal acts against EMS personnel must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” she said.

Simelane concluded by assuring the public that the Department of Health is committed to equipping and protecting EMS personnel, calling on communities to stand in solidarity with them, as they are “the unsung heroes of our healthcare system.”

The Mercury

• Violence against ambulance services: a growing crisis in KZN