Ambulance ramping continues overnight
An ambulance ramping alert was issued last night across metropolitan Adelaide, warning the service’s operational capacity was “insufficient to maintain effective service delivery for high acuity cases”, the paramedics’ union says.
Photo: Nat Rogers/InDaily
The alert, issued at 10.30pm, declared “OPSTAT White” across Adelaide, meaning the SA Ambulance Service’s “operational capacity, capability and/or resources are insufficient to maintain effective service delivery for high acuity cases”.
A similar alert issued on Saturday afternoon warned there were some uncovered life-threatening cases.
?Mon 10:30pm: SA Ambulance OPSTAT White across Adelaide. ‘Operational capacity, capability and/or resources are insufficient to maintain effective service delivery for high acuity cases’ … ‘Patient safety is directly affected. (DTOC = Ramping) pic.twitter.com/2MkNgX8Fdk
— Ambulance Employees Association (SA) (@aeasa1981) March 21, 2022
A pledge to fix the ambulance ramping “crisis” was a key centrepiece of Labor’s election platform, with the SA Ambulance Employees Association launching an unrelenting attack against the Liberals over the issue.
In the lead up to the election, Labor promised to release ambulance ramping statistics “as soon as possible” each month.
It also pledged to fund 300 extra hospital beds, 350 additional paramedics and ambulance officers, 300 more nurses and 100 extra doctors to help address ambulance ramping.
After the election was called in Labor’s favour on Saturday night, the Ambulance Employees Association tweeted that the result was a “pivotal moment where health becomes a priority”.
I’m here with our doctors, nurses, ambos, cleaners, healthcare workers and staff in the hospital because I want to thank them for everything they do.
Words matter – but my Government will be working very hard to action and implement our health policies. pic.twitter.com/0pVUc8z9Bh
— Peter Malinauskas (@PMalinauskasMP) March 21, 2022
Premier Peter Malinauskas visited health workers at Royal Adelaide Hospital shortly after being officially sworn-in at Government House yesterday.
“I’m here with our doctors, nurses, ambos, cleaners, healthcare workers and staff in the hospital because I want to thank them for everything they do,” Malinauskas tweeted.
“Words matter – but my Government will be working very hard to action and implement our health policies.”
