Over a hundred residents gathered to raise concerns with Liberal State MP John Ajaka on Bundeena Maianbar's ambulance crisis. Videos
Ajaka was invited by the Bundeena based Ambulance Action Group. The meeting came about by the groups ongoing concerns that there were still no locally rostered ambulance drivers and the proposal for a co-located ambulance & fire station being muted by NSW State government and department representatives.
John Ajaka's concerns
What the Liberals would do
During the meeting Ajaka stated his disbelief of the state of ambulance services in Bundeena Maianbar as well as the Royal National Park in general. He said ambulance service should be provided on a by area basis and not a by population basis scoffing at suggestions that residents should accept the status quo because "you chose to live here".
He also proposed a Liberal government would alter rostering arrangements so local ambulance officers would be based closer to where they live and supported the idea of a co-located ambulance & fire station.
Ajaka urged residents to sign a petition which he would present to the State Parliament and to keep up the pressure on government politicians or risk their concerns being forgotten.
What the residents should do
Since Ajaka's meeting the three locally based ambulance officers have agreed to once again provide on-call services. Though the officers will still be based at three different ambulance stations NSW Health Minister Reba Meagher indicated then new roster would be "appropriate and sustainable". The other solution propsed by the State government to partner with the NSW Fire Brigade station based in Bundeena as part of a first responder system is not yet in place and is still being pursued.
While the Ambulance Action Group spokesperson Tamsin Clarke said they are happy to see some progress on the ambulance services situation they are not convinced the new rostering system will be any better given the officers are based at different stations nor that the fire brigade first responder system will be an acceptable solution since brigade staff are not trained as paramedics and don't have ambulance vehicles.
