By XAVIER SMERDON
A MAN who was involved in a life threatening motorcycle crash in Hoppers Crossing earlier this month was attended to by only one paramedic because no ambulances were available, according to the paramedics union.
On Thursday 16 January at around 10.30 am the man and his bike collided with a car on Sayers Rd.
According to United Voice, the paramedics union, he had a compound fracture to his femur.
He had also lost a significant amount of skin from his face.
A union spokesperson told Star no ambulances were available while Melbourne was being gripped by a heatwave so a lone paramedic was sent from Tarneit to assess the situation.
When the paramedic arrived the man had a heart rate of 120 beats per minute and he was slipping in and out of consciousness.
An ambulance crew was apparently then created on the spot, consisting of people from a range of different departments of Ambulance Victoria.
Victorian Secretary of the union, Steve McGhie, said Health Minister David Davis was to answer for the poor ambulance services in Wyndham.
“Even during relatively quiet times, Victoria’s ambulance service is woefully inadequate. However last week the system went into meltdown,” Mr McGhie said.
“Yet instead of addressing this crisis, Premier Napthine and Minister Davis are spending enormous of amounts of taxpayer money trying to con the public into thinking that everything’s just fine and dandy.”
A spokesperson for the Victorian Government told Star that the claims by the union were simply part of a “grubby campaign for a money grab”.
“In the face of the facts the union’s claims are plain rubbish and rather than trashing the exceptional response of our hard-working paramedics they should be joining me in thanking and commending Ambulance Victoria and all emergency service providers for their dedication and diligence in these extraordinary and challenging circumstances,” the spokesperson said.
“As part of the Coalition Government’s $151 million investment in ambulance services a new peak period unit (Tarneit) commenced in Werribee in April 2013, with another new peak period unit (Wyndham Vale) to commence in the first quarter of 2014-15. The Hoppers Crossing service was also upgraded (from a peak period unit) to rostered 24 hour service in April 2012. In total, an additional 18 paramedics are set to service the Wyndham Vale/Werribee area.”
