“An absolute nightmare” are the only words Katrina Payne can use to describe seeing the ambulance coming to save her unconscious baby girl collide with a car along the street from her home.
Thus begins this STORY from the New Zealand Dominion Post. When Mrs. Payne called for an emergency ambulance they sent one of their infamous one-man ambulances. More than 1/4 of their ambulances (some claim as much as 1/2) are staffed with only a driver.
First read the story, then let’s review the key points here.
- First, they dispatch an ambulance with only a driver. Nobody has yet figured out how to drive while tending to a patient, but they keep doing it.
- While the frantic mom is watching and waving, the ambulance turns the wrong way. If he’d had a medic with him, perhaps he would have spotted her, or at least been able to look at the street map.
- After turning around, the ambulance crashes into another car. Things aren’t going well at all.
- The ambulance driver then gets out and instead of hoofing it down the block for the unconscious baby, he starts taking care of the other driver who wasn’t seriously injured.
Allow me to be a little forthright here: They’re hiring idiots to drive their ambulances down there. Some of them get promoted to decision-making positions in management.
Firegeezer says: I’m sorry for that little outburst. But I get so frosted when I see something like this. It’s inexcusable to run an emergency service like this.
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At least there was a happy ending
for the Payne family. DP photo
