Pretoria – In the early hours of Saturday morning a Mamelodi ambulance crew responding to an emergency call was held up at gunpoint on arrival at the address of the caller and taken to a shack, where they were tied up.
The armed assailants made off with the ambulance.
They also drew money using the bank cards belonging to the ambulance crew.
Narrating the events leading to the hijacking, Gauteng Department of Health Spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said the crew responded to an emergency call that claimed a 48-year-old man had collapsed and his condition was unknown.
“An ambulance was dispatched to the area from the Mamelodi base and on arrival in the vicinity of the address two men waved to stop the crew,” said Modiba.
“When the emergency responders stopped to engage them the men pulled out firearms and forced them to drive to an unknown location.
“The occupants of the address used to log the call, later on, reported that they never called for an ambulance.”
Modiba said the crew members – a man and a woman – were taken to a shack, where they were tied up before the assailants drove away with the ambulance.
“The team managed to escape to the nearby Mavuso squatter camp where they called for help,” Modiba said.
“The crew managed to activate the panic button before the assailants took the ambulance.”
Modiba said all Gauteng Emergency Medical Services (EMS) operational vehicles including ambulances are fitted with camera technology and tracking devices.
“This enabled the armed response company to be on the scene within a few minutes while the police made their way,” Modiba said.
“The ambulance was recovered a few minutes later in the same Nellmapius area.
“A case has been opened with the Silverton SA Police Service and the camera footage from the incident has been handed over to the police.
“The crew members sustained minor scrapes and bruises and have suffered emotional trauma.
“Trauma counselling has been arranged accordingly.”
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) on Sunday condemned “in the strongest terms” the continued targeting of healthcare workers when discharging their duties in communities by criminals who rob them of their belongings.
In the recent incident, the Gauteng EMS crew was hijacked, kidnapped, assaulted, and robbed of their personal cell phones and other working tools while responding to what appeared to be a distress call from Nellmapius near Mamelodi township.
Modiba said the Nellmapius incident follows an earlier incident when two Dark City CHC healthcare workers were robbed of their belongings while executing their duties in the community of Ekangala.
In that incident, the pair of assailants were driving in a grey VW Polo vehicle.
The police are investigating this case.
“The GDoH once again appeals to communities to work with law enforcement agencies to report any information that might assist the police to bring perpetrators to book,” Modiba said.
“It is hoped that various measures such as the installation of tracking and surveillance devices on EMS vehicles will assist in curbing these disturbing incidents as more perpetrators are brought to book.”
Modiba said the Gauteng Provincial Government through the Department of e-Government is also rolling out phase one of the Gauteng panic button which is being given to healthcare workers and others who work in vulnerable sectors.
“This will allow for quicker emergency responses in cases of emergencies,” Modiba said.
