Spokeswoman Keri Davids said the team was treating a drug overdose patient in the township at 2am on Tuesday, when about five men entered the ambulance and pepper-sprayed them.

"The male paramedic tried to go get help and tripped over a rock. The men started kicking him and then took a cellphone off him, also frisking [him] for a wallet," she said.

They then took the ambulance key and searched through bags in the front of the vehicle.

While this took place, the female paramedic remained at the back of the ambulance with the patient.

It was not clear how the men got away, but paramedics managed to flag down another ambulance in the area for help.

Davids said it seemed the attackers came from a shebeen opposite the house where the ambulance had parked.

"We are still trying to get exact details of how many men were involved and what was taken, but the crew are still too traumatised to talk and are being counselled," Davids said.

She said police had made arrests yesterday, but Captain Frederick van Wyk was not immediately available to confirm this.

A case of robbery and assault was opened.

Comments

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Sun May 19 08:20:30 SAST 2013 ::

Apr 26, 2012

Papage

This is madness to the fullest, how do you attack paramedics? Our Country is slowly getting rotten and Authorities still says we are safe.
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Apr 26, 2012

Sinudeity

Easy solution, medics must just avoid the townships.
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Apr 26, 2012

dimpho_4U

and then they complain,about ambulances not coming to their areas...because of such incidences ,,,
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Apr 26, 2012

RobinH

This is where our social disease of mindless violence actually will result in negative effects on the perpetrators and their environment. More of this and Emergency Services will refuse to enter certain areas, for very obvious and understandable reasons, just like the times of urban struggle. Is this the way we want the wheel to turn?
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Apr 26, 2012

Tasto

Those thugs are good as dead, its just a race of ppl vs police to catch them !! Hope the police get them first !!
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Apr 26, 2012

Cute123

"Sinudeity
Easy solution, medics must just avoid the townships."

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Oh come the faak on!
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Apr 26, 2012

RobinH

Cute: Tragic as it is, the reality is that things reach a point at which people are not willing to put their lives at risk to help a community that will not protect them. That is just real life.
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Apr 26, 2012

Cute123

RobinH, I get you, however it is not fair to paint all townships with the same brush. This is in reference to Sin's comment.
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Apr 26, 2012

Sinudeity

Cute123 - We read about medics being attacked in townships quite often. A few months ago, a medic was raped and robbed. Why put your life on the risk to try and help someone else?

Fine, lets not stereotype all townships, just the ones where problems have been happening.
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Apr 26, 2012

maneater

everything about this story annoys me. first the rescorces were used to attand to a druggie who actually brought this to himself. secondly they get attcked like this no mam no man noma jerrrrr!!!!
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