Cape Argus reports that health officials in the Western Cape say attacks on paramedics have led to an increase in the exodus of health-care workers too afraid to work in “violent Cape Town”.  

On Tuesday, emergency services bosses briefed the provincial legislature’s standing committee on community development on the ongoing attacks on personnel.  MPLs were told that at any given time about 50 paramedics were booked off sick for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) brought on by the attacks and robberies.  From July to December, 35 attacks on paramedics had been recorded.  Officials told the committee as a result, many of their staff members had been moving to the Eastern Cape or asking for transfers to work outside Cape Town.  This despite an agreement with SA Police Service to escort ambulances into areas that had been categorised as “red-zones” due to previous attack.

• Read this report by Tshego Lepule in full at Cape Argus

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