Victorian ambulance service at risk

By Katherine Heneghan

MELBOURNE -- Cutbacks to Victoria's ambulance service in the last budget have led to the formation of the community group, More Ambulance Services in Victoria. MASIV comprises people who have suffered as a direct result of the cutbacks and their supporters.

MASIV says that the $5 million cuts to ambulance services are costing lives, as 40 ambulances have been cut from peak services since 1992.

There is also only one mobile intensive care ambulance (MICA) unit servicing Melbourne's western suburbs. MICA units are now served by only one paramedic instead of the previous two. At a recent forum organised by MASIV, the co-founder of the MICA units criticised the cutbacks, saying that many life-saving interventions require a team of two.

A spokesperson for the shadow health minister, John Thwaites, said that it was “a disgrace ... there is a real crisis out there which this government is not dealing with”.

According to an earlier statement by Thwaites, ambulances are also taking longer to respond to emergency calls. “The government is citing a response time of 9.5 minutes, but the actual response time is up to 16 minutes.”

Another $4.9 million will be cut from the ambulance services this year.

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