** South African EMS department in Johannesburg fires 4 employees for serious misconduct
** San Diego paramedics get thousands in settlement from city after being attacked by police officer
SOUTH AFRICA NEWS
** Eastern Cape EMS brass in Johannesburg have terminated 4 paramedics for infractions including
having sexual relations with patients in the ambulance and patient neglect resulting in death.
That is the word from News 24 (Adam Wakefield/October 21) which said the group are joined by
3 other medics who have been suspended for 3 months without pay. According to the news site,
other charges leveled at the medics include fraud and faking sick notes to work for another company.
Service spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said the organization’s stance on actual or alleged misconduct
is to decisively deal with the employees involved. As such, Kupelo said an investigator has now
been hired to look into other potentially illegal activities engaged in by staff. Specifics as to the
exact details of the fired medics’ actions have not been disclosed.
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A pair of San Diego paramedics are now thousands richer since settling a lawsuit with the city
after an assault by a former police officer was caught on a grocery store surveillance video. That is the
word from NBC San Diego (Omari Fleming/October 21) which said the duo have been awarded
$86,450 to settle the matter which took place in April 2014 at an area 7-Eleven. According to the
newspaper, the demoted cop was working as a parking enforcement person at the time. Following the
uniformed medics into the store, he punched one of them before being placed in a choke hold.
He then punched the other paramedic as well. Anabal Solis, who was also an amateur boxer,
was found guilty of misdemeanor battery against only one of the paramedics because the jury
deadlocked on the second count. The 2 providers then filed the civil suit after the outcome of the
criminal trial.
