By Mapaballo Borotho
- Two Gauteng EMS officials were attacked at gunpoint while transporting a patient from Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital to Jubilee Hospital on Saturday morning.
- The ambulance was allegedly spiked on the N1 highway before two armed men approached the crew and fired shots.
- The patient remained stable and was transferred to another ambulance, while Gauteng Health has called for greater protection of emergency medical workers.
Two members of the Gauteng Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were attacked at gunpoint while performing their duties on Saturday morning, 29 August 2026.
The officials were transporting a patient from Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital to Jubilee Hospital for a down-referral when their ambulance was reportedly spiked on the N1 highway shortly after Phumlani Plaza.
The crew stopped to assess the vehicle, but while doing so, two male suspects approached the ambulance and fired shots.
“The officials immediately took steps to remove themselves from the danger, with one seeking safety in a nearby area while the other drove away from the scene,” said Gauteng Health spokesperson Steve Mabona.
“The patient remained stable, was transferred to another ambulance and safely transported to Jubilee Hospital.”
Mabona says this heinous crime against EMS personnel not only endangers healthcare workers, but also delays emergency services and places patients who urgently need medical attention at risk.
The department has called on Gauteng residents to protect EMS personnel and cooperate with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other law enforcement agencies in bringing those responsible to account.
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