KING Island Volunteer Ambulance Service is homeless. Since losing their allocated room at the Currie Police Station, the ambulance volunteers are required to use a port-a-loo at the rear of the station.
They do not have access to a facility to undertake training and/or debriefing after a critical incident and there are increasing concerns around infection control despite claims by Premier Jeremy Rockliff that they did.
Independent Forrest MLC Ruth Forrest raised the issue at a recent Legislative Council question time. She asked if the Premier would consider a dedicated ambulance facility to house the two ambulances, provide reasonable facilities such as toilet and kitchen facilities and a room for training and de-briefing, which was essential in a small population for volunteer first responders. Mr Rockliff’s claim that the volunteers had access to all facilities at the King Island Hospital and Health Centre is at odds with ambulance officers’ advice.
“The facilities include access to a training room and appropriate bathrooms and toilets. The King Island Hospital is approximately a two-minute drive from the police station.”
Mr Rockliff said appropriate provisions are made within the ambulance vehicle to ensure infection control requirements are met as they are mobile. “The King Island Hospital and Health Centre provides sufficient handwashing facilities to support appropriate hand hygiene, to meet infection control standards.”
However, more than one King Island ambulance volunteer said the Premier’s claims were laughable. “We do not have keys to the King Island hospital facilities and as a result we cannot use the toilets, training room and other facilities as stated by the Premier,” one officer said. “We can press a button to be let into the hospital, but locked areas need keys.”
The Courier contacted the hospital management to clarify the inability for ambulance volunteers to access hospital facilities on a needs basis and was advised that employees were unable to comment, and all questions were to be directed to the Health Department’s media centre.
Mayor Marcus Blackie said the council was fully supportive of the King Island Volunteer Ambulance Service. “They need our full support as the best outcome for the volunteer ambulance is also the best outcome for King Island,” he said. “They need access to facilities and a base to operate from.
“The latter has no resolution as yet, but it is being worked on,” he said. Mr Rockliff said Ambulance Tasmania has been searching for an appropriate facility to house Ambulance Tasmania in Currie, but there were no available properties/residences.
“As such, Ambulance Tasmania is working with the Tasmania Health Service facility at Currie to appropriately meet training and housing requirements as a priority,” he said.