Thieves stole from Scottish ambulances attending emergencies more than 30 times in the last three years.
Criminals snatched medical equipment, laptops and response kits while paramedics tried to go about their business.
Elsewhere, medicines were taken, as well as paperwork, radios and even vehicle parts.
Some staff also had personal items stolen from ambulances while they worked.
The figures were revealed following a Freedom of Information request to NHS Scotland.
In 2012/13, equipment was stolen from a special operations response division vehicle, while ambulances at the Scottish Ambulance Service academy in Glasgow were also targeted.
In 2011/2012 two mobile phones were stolen from ambulances in the EasThievtt Central Division, one in the South East division and three in West Central. Equipment and medicine were stolen in the North and South West division and a response bag was stolen in West Central division along with two pieces of equipment, a radio and medicine.
In 2012/13 mobile phones and personal items were stolen in North, East Central, South East and South West divisions. Two laptops and paperwork were taken in the West Central division and equipment was stolen from East Central, West Central, South West and Special Operations Response Divisions.
Response bags were stolen from the South East and South West divisions while medicine was stolen from the Scottish Ambulance Service Academy and vehicle parts were stolen from an ambulance in East Central division in 2012/13 along with two items of equipment in East Central and personal items in West Central division.
Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont said the idea of thieves targeting ambulances while paramedics were attempting to save lives was “sickening”.
“There may well be questions for the ambulance service about security of vehicles, but paramedics can hardly be expected to worry about break-ins while patients’ lives are at risk,” he said.
“Anyone caught thieving from these vehicles is the lowest of the low, and must be treated as such by the law if and when they are caught.”
A spokesman from the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “Any theft of equipment from an ambulance has the potential to put lives at risk and all such incidents are reported to the police.”