Patient Dies as Paramedic Shortage Takes Toll on Victoria’s Ambulance Service

A row of Ambulances are seen lined up outside the North Melbourne Public Housing tower complex in Melbourne, Australia on July 8, 2020. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

A Victorian patient who went into cardiac arrest has died after waiting nearly 40 minutes for specialist paramedics.

This comes amid a report by The Herald Sun that found up to a third of Melbourne’s population was without specialist MICA (Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance) paramedics on Dec. 17 due to a shortage of ambulance staff. Much of Melbourne’s inner west also experienced the same shortage over Dec. 17 and Dec. 18.