For a ride

The delay of an ambulance service for a 91-year-old who had fallen has cost her life, which is tragic and totally unacceptable. Here we have a significantly underfunded service that does an incredible job but is forced to raise money by way of donation for work that can only be described as essential.

In addition the people who work there are unquestionably without peer.

Contrast that with the handling of an Australian woman who refused to be Covid-tested. The correct response would have been to place her on the first available flight back to Australia. But no, not here in New Zealand where she was given a fully funded sojourn at the Grand Mercure hotel for 28 days.

Similarly, where people come to visit for exactly 31 days, their MIQ stay is fully paid for.

Shelling out public money for these type of events is not an issue yet we will not fund an operation as essential as our own ambulance service. Something obviously is very wrong here.

Let’s hope a politician doesn’t require the ambulance service anytime soon.

Paul Beck, West Harbour.