IN AN EMERGENCY, EVERY SINGLE SECOND COUNTS

PARAMEDICS are constantly facing an uphill battle. On the frontline, crews are constantly rushing to different jobs, unsure about what scenario they will face next.

In the most acute of circumstances, patients are fighting for their lives and every second they go without help, the more critical their condition. And, in some situations, the paramedics can end up putting themselves into harm’s way just to do their jobs.

Being a paramedic is often a thankless role, but these brave men and women nevertheless perform a crucial role for society.

News that ambulance response times have increased in the Northern Territory reflects the unprecedented times in which we live. The pandemic has placed strain on all parts of our health system.

It took an average of 21.6 minutes for an ambulance to respond to incidents in the Territory in 2020-21, which is the second longest annual result over the past decade.

It is also a reversal on a positive trend the NT had been experiencing in recent times; St John wait times in the Territory had been in decline for the previous three financial years.

In the best-case scenario, this blip is just a reflection of the health crisis. With hopes the pandemic is entering its final days, perhaps last year’s result is an anomaly.

But, like with other aspects of the Territory’s health system, small issues that go neglected often worsen to become systematic flaws.

A nursing shortage at the Royal Darwin has crippled the facility over the past year, just when it was needed most. Four code yellows have been declared in the last 12 months as a result, while Palmerston has lost a third of its emergency beds.

Insiders will tell you the warning signs were there years ago and could have been addressed through recruitment of nurses.

If the increase in ambulance response times proves to be the start of a bigger trend, or Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc on our hospitals, action will need to be taken.

The unions argue the Territory has too few ambulances and are calling for a ratio of one for every 20,000 Territorians.

Whether that benchmark is necessary or not is up for debate, but what isn’t negotiable is that Territorians deserve a fast and responsive ambulance service.