Patients robbed at gunpoint as North West health vehicle is hijacked

Five patients and a North West Department of Health driver were robbed at gunpoint during the hijacking of a Patient Transport vehicle in Moretele on Tuesday evening.

The incident happened at about 20:38 in Tladistad village near Makapanstad while the vehicle was transporting patients.

According to the department, the driver had just dropped off an elderly patient who had been discharged from Jubilee Hospital when an armed man approached the vehicle, pointed a firearm at him and demanded his cellphone and wallet.

The driver was then ordered to lie on the ground, while the five patients inside the vehicle were robbed of their cellphones and forced to get out. The suspects then fled with the department's vehicle.

North West Health MEC Sello Lehari condemned the attack, saying the vehicle was an essential public health resource transporting patients, including elderly and vulnerable people.

The department immediately activated the vehicle's tracking system and shared its coordinates with response teams.

The vehicle was located at Kalkpunt near Rabosula village and recovered at about 21:12, less than 40 minutes after the hijacking. The suspects had fled.

The vehicle was towed to Jericho SAPS for further investigation, while Makapanstad police opened a criminal case.

Lehari commended department officials, tracking teams, SAPS and community structures for their swift response.

No serious physical injuries were reported, although the MEC described the incident as deeply disturbing.

The remaining patients, who were travelling to Kgomo-Kgomo and Cyferskuil, were provided with alternative arrangements to ensure they reached their homes safely.

Police investigations are continuing.