The Ambulance Service

In certain situations people sometimes need to call for an ambulance. Someone may be seriously ill, had a severe injury, suffered a heart or even an asthma attack or had an accident. In that case people dial 000 to get help. Last year more than 480, 000 people in Victoria called for an ambulance. In Victoria the ambulance services are run by the Metropolitan Ambulance Service.

Many accidents take place at home like:

1. falls

2. cuts and tears

3. burns

In a situation where the life of the person is in great danger paramedics and firefighters are sent to the place where help is needed. Firefighters are trained to give help in life threatening situations like when someone’s heart stops beating or a person stops breathing. In these situations every second that passes increases that chances for this person to die. Normally the first people who give first aid are the people around the patient. They do their best until a trained person comes, like a paramedic or a firefighter and takes charge. This is the kind of help a casualty can get before professional help arrives. It can be given by members in the family, friends or strangers in the street. The aims of this first aid are to :

1. preserve life

2. prevent an injury from getting worse

3. promote recovery

The service you may get is not free if you do not have an ambulance subscription. This will cover you against the payment of any money for the services you may get. People who have a Health Care Card or a Pensioner Concession Card are not liable to pay for the cost of the ambulance treatment or transport. Also children holding a current Child Disability Health Care Card do not pay for the services. Others will have to pay the full cost of the services and this money can be very dear. If you need an emergency road transport and you do not have any ambulance cover or private health insurance, you will have to more than $670. This is not all. If you live in a remote area and need the air ambulance service, you will have to pay up to $5,000. The ambulance Membership provides 100% cover for all ambulance treatment and transport anywhere in Australia.

You can get a single ambulance membership for yourself and this will cost $60 per year. You can also get a family membership for $120 per year. You can renew your membership every year or you can have a membership of up to 5 years. Please contact the St. John Ambulance Service to find out more information on 9848 0808 or go to www.ambulance.vic.gov.au.

Because learning what to do in an emergency is very important, some people decide to do a first aid course. It only takes 2 days to finish but the information they get in this course can be enough to save a life.