Outdated ambulance service claims first fatality in Melbourne, Australia...
October 21st 2007 03:34
A heart attack victim in Melbourne, Australia,has died after paramedics from a broken down ambulance were forced to run two blocks with a defibrillator to try and resuscitate him, it has been reported.
The 56 year old man's death comes amid a bitter and now deadly dispute between the Metropolitan Ambulance Service and its members union concerning "unsafe" vehicles.
The union has claimed 45 Mercedes ambulances have exceeded their agreed lifespan of 150,000 km. This was the sixth incident in the past two weeks. The vehicle concerned in the fatal incident had 160,000 km on its odometer when the vehicle broke down, and the man's heart had stopped by the time the crew arrived with a defibrillator.
Paramedics claimed last week the ambulance service had threatened to fine them $A6,000 unless they used the over-used vehicles.
A spokesman for the Victorian health minister said the state had the safest ambulance service in Australia.
The mind boggles at the state of other services if this claim is true!
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