South African paramedics face danger in Cape Town's 'red zones'

AFP English

Emergency service workers in Cape Town risk their lives each time they go to work. In nine “Red Zones”, ambulances need police escorts before they can respond to emergency calls. The detour to get protection can have deadly consequences for some patients. "Sometimes you arrive when the person has already gone," says paramedic Inathi Jones.

Transcript

00:00We have to start at the police station to get the police escort so that is why we can't go alone

00:28and it was dangerous.

00:41People are not working, so people are on drugs, so things have changed drastically.

00:47So we have to go via police station even before you go and save a person.

00:53Sometimes you feel bad because you come late, if you didn't have to via police station, you could have saved the life.

01:03Then sometimes you arrive when the person is already gone.

01:06We have to go on one of the two vehicles.

01:17Now we have to go on to go somewhere.

01:18We want to go on the train.

01:22We want to go on the train.

01:25I was crying on that situation because I knew that if I was there before, I would

01:55help that baby.

01:56And then he passed away, that baby passed away.

Category

Transcript

Comments

Recommended