News24 reports that the Western Cape emergency services have warned that staff won’t be able to enter some areas should they be declared Red Zones.  This came after a crew was robbed over the weekend and another had to escape community members.  

Provincial spokesperson Robert Daniels said the first incident occurred in George when paramedics were robbed of their personal belongings while attending to patients in the back of their ambulance.  A few hours later, a second crew in Khayelitsha had to drive away with a patient inside the ambulance after members of the community tried to enter the vehicle.  Both crews were unharmed, but were receiving counselling.  The circumstances around the robbery in George was being investigated.  Services will continue in the areas concerned as they have not been declared Red Zones.  "Should an area be declared a Red Zone, no EMS vehicle or staff will go into the area without a police escort which, will result in delayed response times and delayed emergency medical care in the area," Daniels warned.

• Read this report by Jan Bornman in full at News24
• See too, Ambulance crew robbed in Western Cape over weekend, at TimesLive

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page