The parents of two Melton men who died this year after long waits for an ambulance have spoken out in support of paramedics seeking improved wages and conditions.
Parents Julie Wilson and Steve Gibbs spoke at a rally held by paramedics on the steps of State Parliament after Premier Denis Napthine moved to end a 15-month pay dispute with a revised offer.
The offer has been rejected by paramedics, who say they would still be the lowest paid ambulance officers in the country. The parents of Brodie Wilson and Matthew Gibbs supported calls for better coverage, wages and conditions.
Brodie, 18, died in June after paramedics took 27 minutes to reach him after he suffered an asthma attack. The nearest available crew was in Sunbury.
Matthew, 23, waited 16 minutes after having a cardiac arrest at a Melton recreation centre on October 8.
“The stress of being part of a service that is losing the race to improve response times must be immense,” Ms Wilson told hundreds of paramedics. “As a mother who has been directly impacted by these response times, I am here to tell each and every one of you that I support and respect you.
“The first step in providing Victorians with a reliable and functional ambulance service is to pay you, the workers, correctly.”
Mr Gibbs said paramedics deserved more support.
“I was at the scene and watched as five professional paramedics worked tirelessly on my son,” Mr Gibbs said. ‘‘Their commitment is something I will never forget. I have directly witnessed the conditions you work under, the stress you are exposed to on a daily basis and the lack of internal support for your service.”
As reported by the Weekly, there have been three cases since October last year in which Melton patients waited longer than 15 minutes for an ambulance.
Ambulance Victoria has said additional resources have been allocated to Caroline Springs and more resources will be added to Melton by April next year.
