News24 reports that unending violent attacks on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel could leave communities in Gauteng without essential emergency services.

Personnel have been robbed, assaulted or shot at in the line of duty. The most recent incident took place on Friday. Two officials survived an attack when they came under fire while responding to an incident in which a person had been shot and wounded in the Dukathole informal settlement, Germiston. Gauteng Health MEC Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi reported that while attending to the wounded person, shots were fired at the paramedics. "This resulted in one crew member being hit by a bullet and rushed to hospital. The attack on EMS slowed down the emergency response to the wounded resident who, unfortunately, died on the way to the hospital. Unless communities work together with law enforcement agencies to put an end to the attacks on EMS personnel, and the vandalism of their equipment, people needing emergency medical care might find themselves without assistance as workers will be reluctant to respond to calls,” Mokgethi warned. Earlier this month, a female EMS crew member was attacked at gunpoint while on duty. In another separate incident, a shift leader and her crew were attacked by residents in Magaliesburg while responding to a distress call.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24

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