NSW Ambulance has defended its staffing levels for paramedics amid claims that Riverina crews have been pushed to breaking point by the pandemic.
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The NSW branch of the Australian Paramedics Association has claimed that its members are "on the brink of burn out; exasperated and exhausted from battling a crisis that should have been avoided" while working 15-hours days and wearing full PPE in summer heat.
"Outbreaks of COVID variants in our communities have highlighted how dangerously under resourced we have let our services become," NSW association president Chris Kastelan said.
"But response times have been worsening since well before this pandemic, and paramedics have been doing it brutally tough for years."
Tumut paramedic John Larter said he had seen the same issues in the South West Slopes and the Riverina.
"There were five paramedics at Batlow and now there are only two; every other shift is being filled with overtime or people on call from other stations," he said.
"I know the same thing is happening everywhere, they are getting desperate at every station.
"And then there are the ridiculous close contact rules where the goalposts are always changing. One minute you are a close contact and the next you are not."
A NSW Ambulance spokesperson said hundreds of new paramedics were on their way.
"Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, NSW Ambulance call-takers, dispatchers and Riverina-based paramedics have worked tirelessly to serve their community during this unprecedented and challenging time," the spokesperson said.
"Their efforts, and that of their colleagues across the entire health system, have been nothing short of remarkable."
The spokesperson said like other employers, NSW Ambulance had experienced staffing challenges due to workers self-isolating and others taking sick leave.
"Currently 60 graduate paramedics are being inducted, and another 200 graduates will begin induction in the coming weeks as we continue to surge our workforce in response to the pandemic. 65 casual paramedics have been offered full-time employment," the spokesperson said.
Mr Larter previously sued NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard in an unsuccessful attempt to have the NSW Supreme Court overturn the vaccine mandate for paramedics.
One of Mr Larter's arguments was that the mandate would remove too many regional paramedics from duty.
Mr Larter is currently suspended while he contests a complaint to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency around his alleged vaccine comments.
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