KwaZulu-Natal Transport MEC Siboniso Duma has accused a private ambulance service in Durban of “bulldozing” their way into accident scenes, bullying law enforcement, inflating casualty numbers, and refusing to treat dying patients without medical aid.
But Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedics has reacte by threatening to sue the MEC if a public apology, as well as a retraction of previous comments, was not forthcoming this week.
TimesLIVE reports attorney Wesley Rodgers, acting on behalf of ALS paramedics, sent Duma a letter on Friday after the politician had addressed media at the scene of a minibus taxi and truck crash in Lotus Park, south of Durban, on Thursday, where 11 people died, and eight others were injured.
“When they (ALS) enter the scene, they tend to bulldoze … They are also insensitive in some instances. If you don’t have medical aid, they are not going to assist you – if … you are dying. It is why we prefer you deal with the Department of Health.
“The MEC of Health always dispatches qualified and stronger teams, who are not saying you are going to be excluded,” said Duma, whose comments were broadcast on TV, radio and social media.
The MEC’s spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, said the letter from ALS is “laughable” and Duma would not retract any statement.
Rogers said his client disputed Duma’s statements as “false, vexatious and defamatory”, and presented evidence contradicting the MEC’s claims that the province’s emergency response system provided a stronger service or that ALS had failed to transport injured patients at Thursday’s crash.
“At the scene in question, our client in fact transported two patients without medical aid to (a) public hospital (Albert Luthuli Hospital), and it does so on an ongoing basis where required.”
He said ALS also assisted two other patients at the scene.
On the issue of the state’s health services, Rogers alleged all five of the KZN emergency medical response service (EMRS) vehicles at the scene were operating unlawfully, as they did not display valid operating licences as required under the National Health Act and emergency medical services regulations.
Their basic and essential equipment was also inadequate.
“The EMRS paramedics lacked even basic pain medication and an ECG (electrocardiogram) monitor, and had requested (one) from our client.”
He said EMRS arrived an hour after ALS had got to the scene.
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