Paramedic hurt in 'vicious attack' by ambulance worker at accident scene
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.
A paramedic stabbed a colleague from another company at an accident scene on the R55 earlier today. The men argued. pic.twitter.com/w2ISn9nY1v
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) July 22, 2019
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.