Paramedic hurt in 'vicious attack' by ambulance worker at accident scene

23 July 2019 - 13:57
By Nomahlubi Jordaan
An employee for Emer-G-Med was 'attacked' by another ambulance worker
Image: Gallo Images/iStockphoto An employee for Emer-G-Med was 'attacked' by another ambulance worker

A private ambulance service‚ Emer-G-Med‚ says one of its employees was involved in a "vicious attack" by another ambulance worker.

The incident occurred on the R55 in Midrand on Monday afternoon after two ambulance providers were summoned to a scene of an accident involving several vehicles.

Emer-G-Med said it had dispatched an advanced life-support unit‚ primary-care ambulance and a paramedic team who on arrival at the scene treated several injured patients.

"While one of our intermediate life-support members was actively treating a patient‚ he was viciously assaulted by what appears to have been an ambulance driver of a small ambulance service.

"Our advanced life-support paramedic intervened‚ removed our ILS member out of harm's way and continued rendering emergency care to injured patients‚" read Emer-G-Med's statement.

The injured medic‚ who has not been identified‚ was taken to hospital after the "unprovoked" attack.

Emer-G-Med rejected a claim that its employee had stabbed the ambulance worker.

"Our ILS member - who was the victim of an unprovoked and deliberate attack - was taken to hospital and treated for facial lacerations and a ruptured eardrum. He is also undergoing trauma counselling‚" said Emer-G-Med.

A case of assault was opened with the police by Emer-G-Med‚ confirmed police spokesperson Capt Steve Malatji.

The fight was allegedly started by a paramedic belonging to another service‚ according to the complaint to the police.

"Apparently‚ a member from the crew of [another service] started to shout at the guys who were busy helping the injured and they ignored him and kept doing their job. He got frustrated and enraged by their [ignoring him]‚ he insulted them‚" said Malatji.

"Still they went on without answering him. Then he hit one of the guys‚ who then suffered a broken eardrum."

Attempts to reach the other ambulance service being accused of the attack were unsuccessful at the time of publishing.



Source: TMG Digital.