AN eleventh hour reprieve appears to have saved a crucial ambulance response unit from being lost to Footscray.
The Weekly reported in December that Footscray was on the verge of losing its only mobile intensive-care ambulance (MICA), a unit deployed to serious emergencies so paramedics can reach the scene as quickly as possible.
The MICA 3 unit faced being relocated to Port Melbourne after Ambulance Victoria lost the lease of its Eleanor Street base near Western Hospital.
Earlier this month, Greens MP Colleen Hartland called on Health Minister David Davis to ensure the unit remained in Footscray.
She said moving Footscray’s MICA to Port Melbourne or Laverton would increase response times by at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes in heavy traffic.
“I don’t want the minister putting local residents’ lives on the line to save a few bucks in rent.”
An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said on Monday that MICA 3 would remain in the Footscray area, with a new location identified and a lease soon to be signed.
Ambulance Employees Australia state secretary Steve McGhie said the unit was the second-busiest in Melbourne and its relocation could have led to tragedy.
He said he understood Mica 3’s new home would be in Ashley Street, Braybrook.
“I’m not sure when they are likely to move. I’ve been told it could be up to four weeks to have the work done that is needed, but they are supposed to vacate Eleanor Street by February 28,” he said. “My concern is that if they have to vacate all of a sudden, it could be that the new facility is not ready to move into, so I’d be hoping Ashley Street fairly quickly has the work done on it.”
Meanwhile, Mr Davis has fended off criticism of a slide in average Melbourne ambulance response times to an average of 17 minutes — above the government’s 15-minute target. “I have to say that the very best test is the survival rate, and Victoria is doing very well on improving its survival rates,” he said. —Benjamin Millar
