Melton residents distressed by frequent ambulance delays are sick and tired of having to attend needless funerals, according to Melton Labor MP Don Nardella.
Mr Nardella last week called for state Health Minister David Davis to be sacked because of poor ambulance coverage in the electorate.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr Nardella asked Premier Denis Napthine to replace Mr Davis with “a person who has an understanding of health issues and a modicum of compassion”.
A spokesman for Mr Davis labelled Mr Nardella a “hypocrite”.
“Don Nardella should explain why he was so silent on this issue when Labor was in government,’’ the spokesman said.
“He neglected to mention that the former Labor government ripped $42 million from the ambulance budget.”
In his speech, Mr Nardella mentioned the recent deaths of Melton’s Lilliana Mizzi, 78, who waited four hours for an ambulance after having a stroke, and 18-year-old Brodie Wilson, who waited 27 minutes for an ambulance to come from Sunbury after having an asthmatic attack.
Mr Nardella also referred to the death of 23‑year‑old Matthew Gibbs, who had a cardiac arrest at the Melton Indoor Recreation Centre on October 8.
“Matthew … waited 16 minutes for an ambulance from Caroline Springs, leaving another family grieving due to the incompetence of this uncaring minister,’’ he said.
“These families will grieve for the rest of their lives.
“Lives have been cut short because money has been cut from health – from hospitals, doctors, nurses and paramedics.”
Mr Davis’s spokesman said the government would boost paramedic numbers and build a new ambulance facility in Melton, giving the area better coverage.
