Brumby acts on ambulance SOS

By Melissa Grant
THE State Government has introduced measures to improve Victorian ambulance services after it was revealed that Pakenham residents were waiting too long for an ambulance during an emergency.
On Tuesday, Premier John Brumby announced a $185.7 million budget boost which will see new or expanded services rolled out in 48 towns and suburbs in Victoria.
Pakenham residents are likely to benefit with plans to refurbish the local ambulance station and the introduction of a new 12-hour peak period unit.
This comes after a new website, launched on Monday as part of an Ambulance Employees Australia (AEA) community campaign, showed that Pakenham residents were waiting an average of 22 minutes for an ambulance – seven minutes more than the Victorian benchmark.
However, Pakenham residents aren’t alone with at least half of Melbourne’s suburbs failing to meet the State Government’s benchmark in 90 per cent of cases.
AEA state secretary Steve McGhie said a lack of resources and funding had contributed to the poor response times.
“Across Melbourne, emergency response times continue to blow out,” he said.
“Our intensive care ambulance service is collapsing.
“Local MICA (Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance) services were cancelled or ran only a limited service 130 times in a six-month period recently, putting the lives of critically ill patients at risk.
Eastern Victoria Upper House MP Johan Scheffer welcomed Tuesday’s announcement saying that the $185.7 million injection recognised the growth of the area.
“This renewed investment builds on previous ambulance service achievements in Pakenham; since 1999 the Bracks-Brumby Government has increased local ambulance services by upgrading 24-hour crew in the area,” he said.
“Local residents say they are delighted by the upgrade which recognised that Pakenham is a growing local hub in West Gippsland.”
In addition to the investment, Mr Brumby released a paper proposing that Victoria’s ambulance services would become one organisation – Ambulance Victoria – to operate a strengthened new state- wide service.
But Acting Leader of the Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition Peter Ryan said the announcement of the possible merger needed to be treated with caution.
He said any amalgamation of the two entities needed to ensure that services wouldn’t suffer in country and regional Victoria.