Immediate Funding for Victorian Emergency Services After Aussies Die While Waiting for Call Responses

Victoria Ambulances are seen at the St. Vincent Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 11, 2022. Diego Fedele/Getty Images

The Victorian government is injecting an “immediate” $115.6 million (US$85 million) into the state’s Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) and will restructure the organisation as it struggles to handle emergency call volumes.

Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said the inspector-general for emergency management was investigating reports that 12 people had died while waiting for the service to take their call.