Our Paramedics at Risk !

One of the most valued aspects of our civilized society is the sure knowledge that if we encounter a medical emergency a 000 phone call will result in an ambulance with trained paramedics being despatched to bring aid at any time of the day or night.  In many cases, the outcome is the saving of a life that would otherwise be lost.

Paramedics - along with fire fighters - used to be the valued heroes that many children wanted to become when they grew up, but in todays world this is becoming a dangerous profession.  An ambulance crew consists of two people and of necessity they have with them medical supplies which would be of high interest to drug users.

Many years ago there was a tragic accident when a train dislodged the Bold street bridge and it crashed onto carriages below and caused death and injuries to many passengers.   When ambulance crews climbed down to give aid, their ambulances - left unguarded - were looted and when the paramedics returned they found them bare shells, with even basic equipment missing.

That respect for paramedics has retreated even further today.  Ambulance crews are likely on the basis of " more often than not " to need to use physical restraints on the people they are tasked with helping.  The cause of this aggression - is the drug  " ice ".  People in its grip often refuse help and this irrational behaviour is also common amongst loved ones and their friends.   Often paramedics are prevented from giving aid or even taking the victim to hospital.

Taking a patient to hospital in an ambulance has risks.  One paramedic is driving and so the other is alone with the patient who may be physically unruly.  It is not unusual for the security staff to be needed on arrival at the emergency ward as this aggression continues as doctors and nurses take over care from the paramedics.

Unfortunately, ice use is hitting a peak on the NSW south coast and southern highlands.  It rose 31 percent in the last year compared with 5.7% in the rest of NSW, according to the  Bureau of Crime statistics and research.  Paramedics dread a call out when the reason given is " behaviour disturbance " or " mental health issues ".  That is often a pseudonym for  " ice affected ".  Statistics show that the average ice user is male, aged 30 to 55, often with a history of trauma, very often unemployed or underemployed and homeless.  The paramedics sometimes need to call for police assistance but in many instances they need to handle the situation themselves.

If this risk continues to grow it seems obvious that future ambulance call outs may need a police presence or the ambulance service may need to provide its own roving security to deliver backup when paramedics face a hostile patient and carers.

This is an essential service but the prevalence of ice is putting it at risk.