2022
Incorporating
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
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Page 9
PRESERVING HISTORY
Sport
DOING BUSINESS YEAR six students from Mansfield Primary School were running a brisk trade in everything from painted pet rocks to macrame keyrings and snow cones last week as part of the school's Social Enterprise program. Heath Shevlin, Billy Turner, Lucas Bellman and Harper Draai had the market cornered on dog toys, with all monies raised to be donated to student-nominated local charities. Turn to page 7 for more photos from the day. PHOTO: Emma Oliver
LOCAL SOCCER KIDS
Mansfield ambos struggle with the winter surge By HANNAH KENNELLY
MANSFIELD paramedics’ response times have slowed in the midst of a busy winter season, with a 10 per cent increase in code one calls. Recent statistics from Ambulance Victoria show Mansfield responded to 136 code one cases between April and June this year, the highest number in two years. Paramedics attended 40.4 per cent of those emergen-
cies within the 15 minute state-wide average target. The average response time for code one calls in Mansfield was 24 minutes and 53 seconds, four minutes and eight seconds slower than last quarter. The state-wide average response time to code one emergencies was 16 minutes and four seconds. However, Mansfield’s code two response times showed significant improvement.
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Paramedics responded to code two cases approximately 12 minutes faster than the January to March quarter. Ambulance Victoria Hume Regional Director Narelle Capp said the fourth quarter of 2022/23 was Ambulance Victoria’s third busiest on record, with ambulance responses impacted by a 5.5 per cent increase in demand compared to the previous quarter. “Every winter we see de-
mand rise, and this year is still challenging as COVID-19 and influenza spreads, and more staff are furloughed due to illness,” Ms Capp said. “April to June saw ambulances called to 97,509 code one cases state-wide, which is more than 5000 additional ‘lights and sirens’ cases compared to the previous three months. “This is a huge 29.3 per cent increase from code one cases five years ago be-
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fore the pandemic hit. “This winter we again urge you to help our paramedics, first responders and hospitals by saving triple zero for emergencies and accessing alternative care options which can better meet your needs.” From April to June, paramedics and first responders across Victoria responded to 61.7 per cent of code one cases within the state-wide average target of 15 minutes.
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In the Hume Region, response times have improved in the Indigo, Mitchell, Benalla, Moira, and Greater Shepparton Local Government Areas. Ms Capp said Ambulance Victoria had recruited 118 new graduate paramedics over the past month, including 16 in the Hume Region. “This builds on our record recruitment of more than 1300 paramedics over the past two years,” Ms Capp said.
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