The Democratic Alliance in the Western Cape welcomes the process to equip Emergency Medical Staff with 1 000 body cameras. A total of 45 more attacks on EMS personnel have been recorded for 2020 compared to 2019. The nature of the work of paramedics is often traumatic, and recently subject to an increasing level of criminal attacks.
MPP Wendy Philander said: “The provincial Department of Health’s acquisition of the bodycams will feature GPS and panic button features as part of its technological safety plan to support emergency workers. This kind of equipment is used internationally to monitor calls from a central location to provide support to emergency workers who may be at risk.
I have submitted parliamentary questions to provincial Health Minister Nomafrench Mbombo regarding alternative support towards ongoing involvement of security services to escort EMS staff, as well as trauma counselling available to them as part of a long term strategy.”
On average, EMS responds to thousands of cases, particularly over weekends in the Western Cape. In one of the latest attacks this year, it was proven that such criminality is no longer only opportunistic when a criminal attack has been launched, following a hoax call to the service centre.
MPP Philander added: “Paramedics and the EMS service are invaluable to communities, especially where individuals are unable to seek urgent medical assistance on their own. The call to behavioural change in communities towards our paramedics is not enough as these men and women continue to put their lives at risk. But we do plead with communities to remain vigilant, to cooperate with emergency staff, and report incidents at their nearest police station”.
The DA in the Western Cape supports the whole of society approach to fight these senseless crimes in order to provide these critical services despite precarious circumstances.
