** South African medics hijacked, held at gunpoint, EMS unit stolen
SOUTH AFRICA NEWS
** A pair of Limpopo paramedics were uninjured Wednesday when their ambulance was hijacked, but the vehicle was vandalized and is now out of service. That is the word from Eyewitness News (Veronica Mokhoali/February 27) which said the heist, which saw the medics held at gunpoint, resulted in the EMS unit being recovered several hours later. Along with the dashboard being stripped, both the doors and seats were also removed. A union spokesman said the incident was disheartening since his members have been working to stem assaults on EMS personnel. Mpho Mpogeng said prehospital brass have so far been uncooperative. Although the union has set up meetings to discuss preventative strategies, department officials frequently don’t bother showing up. Police continue to investigate.
