'It's not our job to walk down stairs': Two KZN paramedics suspended for 'leaving' Umlazi patient
Image: 123RF/Jaromír Chalabala
Two KwaZulu-Natal paramedics have been suspended after they allegedly refused to walk down a stairway to reach a patient, ordered family to bring her to them and then left because the neighbours were taking too long.
The provincial health department said on Monday two paramedics have been placed under immediate precautionary suspension to allow an investigation to proceed without hindrance.
“It is 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,” the department said.
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.
“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 patient is now in hospital after she was transported to a clinic via an e-hailing taxi and then transferred to hospital by ambulance.
Concerned neighbours and relatives alerted senior health department officials to the issue on social media, prompting action against the employees.
The department said it is “deeply disturbed by these allegations, as such actions are acutely opposed to emergency care providers’ main objectives”.
It said the Bika Sikusize mobile app can be used to report acts of impropriety, so they can be dealt with urgently.
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