Durban — Two paramedics who allegedly denied a patient care have been suspended.
That was according to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health after a social media post of the incident went viral over the weekend.
In a statement on Monday, the department said it was attending to the clinical needs of a patient who was allegedly abandoned by an ambulance in uMlazi on Sunday night.
The department said the patient was in hospital and getting the requisite level of care.
“Meanwhile, the two paramedics implicated in the matter have been placed under immediate precautionary suspension, so as to allow an investigation to proceed without hindrance,” the department said.
According to a post shared on social media, a woman in uMlazi was experiencing heart problems when her family called emergency services.
The department said that it was alleged that after responding to a distress call, the paramedics refused to alight from an ambulance and walk down a stairway to reach the patient.
They allegedly said “it’s not our job to walk down the stairs” and demanded that the patient be brought up by her relatives instead, the department said.
It said that while neighbours were trying to carry the patient up the stairway, the paramedics allegedly accused them of being “too slow” and “wasting our time”, and left the scene.
The department said that the highly distressed patient was eventually transported to a nearby clinic with an e-hailing taxi service, and then subsequently transferred to the hospital by another Emergency Medical Services ambulance.
“The department is deeply disturbed by these allegations, as such actions are acutely opposed to emergency care providers’ main objectives,” the department said.
It said that these include conserving life; alleviation of suffering; promoting health; doing no harm; and encouraging the quality and equal availability of emergency medical care services.
“The department would also like to acknowledge and appreciate the actions of those who tagged its executive and senior officials on Facebook, to draw their attention on the matter,” the department said.
“The department further encourages the public to make use of its “Bika Sikusize” mobile application (app) to report any acts of impropriety, so that they can be dealt with urgently.
“The department will not hesitate to take the most stringent action possible against any emergency healthcare staff who deliberately fail to discharge their duties and prioritise the life and well-being of those in need,” the department added.
Meanwhile, the EFF eThekwini region fighters will visit Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital on Monday after one of their ambulances left a patient in the street on Sunday night.
“This is why the EFF call for all community clinics to operate for 24 hours so our people can be assisted easily,” the EFF in eThekwini said.
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