Don’t wait on injuries – just call the ambos

THE daughter of an elderly cyclist hit by a car is urging others to call triple 0 regardless of their injuries after he ended up in intensive care.

Sixty-two-year-old Hanita Paki was cycling in Highland Park on Sunday when a car clipped him.

Daughter Kylie Ngakawa Brown-Paki said her father was stubborn and refused to allow others to call an ambulance despite serious internal injuries.

“He’s in ICU, both lungs punctured, he has a fractured shoulder and cheekbone,” she said. “He also has four broken ribs.”

Ms Brown-Paki said the grandfather of five was also on medication for bipolar and sleep deprivation, which she believes may have impaired his pain threshold.

The bystanders and the driver took Mr Paki to a friend’s house close by at his request where he called his wife, who immediately brought him to hospital.

Queensland Ambulance supervisor Paul Young said it was safer to call triple 0 regardless of the injuries.

“It’s up to the emergency medical dispatcher to decide (what to do), there’s key questions they ask and they can stay on the phone until an ambulance arrives,” he said.

“Paramedics can further assess whether they need to go to hospital, to a doctor’s surgery or if no transport’s required.

“He may have head injuries he doesn’t know about.”