Attack highlights paramedics’ fears

THE safety of emergency service personnel in the line of duty — and the suggestion they be provided with stab-proof vests — has been brought to the fore by an alleged assault on a Cork city paramedic on Wednesday night.

The male paramedic and his colleague called to an apartment on John Redmond Street, where a man had been complaining of abdominal pains.

The paramedic was met at the scene by two men, one Irish and one non-national, and treated the Irish man for his complaint there.

The patient did not want to go to hospital.

An ambulance source said the other man, unhappy that his companion wasn’t hospitalised, allegedly attacked the paramedic.

The paramedic couldn’t get to his personal radio, which has an emergency call button and is carried by all crews. His female colleague was allegedly struck by the man when she intervened.

Gardaí were on the scene quickly and the man was arrested.

“The worry is that someone could be attacked [with] a knife. There have been calls for anti-stab vests to be issued. This will re-ignite those calls,” said a source close to the attack.