The Victorian Ambulance Union is condemning the assault of a pregnant paramedic by the patient whose life she saved in Melbourne’s north.
Union secretary Danny Hill said the person was treated for a drug overdose last week and became agitated after being taken to a Heidelberg hospital.
“They just literally saved this patient’s life and then, while they were offloading the patient at the hospital they’ve lashed out, punched the paramedic in the head and in the stomach while she’s 12 weeks pregnant,” he said.
Mr Hill said the paramedic and her unborn child were alright but she would no longer go out to attend to patients.
The union says the paramedic has elected to take herself off the road. (ABC News)
“She’s made the decision to come off-road, which is really sad because she’s a dedicated paramedic and she wanted to work on-road for as long as she could, but she can’t risk placing her unborn child at the sort of risk that paramedics are facing every day,” he said.
“I think we’ll see a lot come off-road where previously they might have worked up much closer until the end of their pregnancy.”
Victoria Police said an investigation of the May 3 incident was ongoing.
Police said they had identified a 40-year-old woman of no fixed address who they would like to speak to.
The assault came after a man allegedly stabbed a paramedic as he ordered a coffee at a cafe in Reservoir late last month.
More than 1,000 hazardous incidents in a year
Ambulance Victoria chief executive Jordan Emery condemned the latest assault, describing it as the most recent in an “appalling trend” of violence against first responders.
“The persistent pattern of violence against paramedics and first responders is extremely concerning,” he said.
“I have heard concerns from our people about their safety at work and recognise that last week’s incident, and now this, has compounded that anxiety for all of us.”
Mr Emery said he met with Ambulance Victoria Board Chair Andrew Crisp and Mr Hill to discuss a “united approach” to addressing violence against first responders.
“We plead with the community to treat our paramedics and first responders with dignity and respect. Our people who give so much to Victoria deserve nothing less,” he said.
According to figures from the Victorian Ambulance Union paramedics across the state experienced more than 1,000 hazardous incidents in the last financial year.
Following the stabbing incident, the state government requested recommendations from the Victorian Law Reform Commission on how to strengthen emergency worker harm laws.
Minister for Health Harriet Shing said the government was continuing to work alongside Ambulance Victoria on closing loopholes in laws protecting emergency services workers.Â
