Warragul & Drouin Gazette

Drouin ambulance is urgent

-

Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood wants the Health Minister Jill Hennessy to step in and get Drouin a new ambulance station soon.

Speaking in parliament last week Mr Blackwood pointed out that Drouin was the largest town in Victoria without a 24-hour ambulance service although funding for it was provided almost two years ago.

Ambulance Victoria’s regional director Simon Jemmett told The Gazette earlier this month that there had been delays beyond the organisati­on’s control but he expected a new station, in a converted industrial building in Darcan Way, would open in June or July.

An ambulance is currently based in Drouin during daylight hours but the crew is based at Warragul at night.

Mr Blackwood said this added at least 10 minutes to response times for call outs at Drouin and towns further west and rural communitie­s were seriously compromise­d in the evenings.

He said the Minister should intervene and prioritise a 24hour service at Drouin.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Australia