Pastor Blames Paramedics For Death Of 3 Year Old In Church
Pastor Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng has said the family of the 3 year old child who died at his church will be filing charges against paramedics. Motsoeneng insists the paramedics from Ekurhuleni Emergency Management Services berated the mother of the child instead of providing medical care.
The child died at his church in Katlehong on Sunday and the pastor denied allegations that he wanted to load the lifeless body of the child into the ambulance, or that he and his congregants attacked paramedics.
“You know why they (paramedics) went to open the case, why they rushed to the media? They are covering because they are afraid of the lawsuit and the mother is going to actually open a case of assault because she was thrown with the oxygen tank on her foot. All South Africans must rally behind this mother. I’ll be transporting her to the police station at 11 o’ clock. She will be opening a case of culpable homicide because the child was killed” the pastor said.
He went on to accuse the paramedics of negligence; “The ambulance when it arrived they (the paramedics) were asked to enter the church with the stretcher, they refused. They said the pastor must take the child out. I took the child out. Then I was shouting: open the ambulance, the gentleman opened the ambulance. I got there, now the child is crying softly. Because of what happened I was afraid that the child might go (die) and will not be able to do anything because they’re here. I explained to the lady (paramedic) the child they say is dehydrated, the child couldn’t breathe can you put on the oxygen. She’s like ‘no, no don’t teach me my work, where is the mother?’ I called the mother, she started asking questions – why did you bring the child first in the church instead of the hospital.”
Meanwhile, Ekurhuleni Emergency Medical Services insists its personnel were attacked when they tried to assist. EMS spokesperson William Ntladi said the threats came three weeks after paramedics pleaded with the public to stop attacking paramedics.
“This time it happened (where) one of the prominent members of the community assaulted one of our personnel during this festive season, which is hectic and important to have everyone ready to operate in case of such emergencies. So one ambulance member was booked off for injury on duty because she was injured on the scene while she was attending (to) what she has been employed (to do) and expected to do when we arrived on the scene there was a misunderstanding between the pastor of the church whereby they had to operate within strategies and procedures.”
