Tuesday, 9 December 2025

 Jade BENHAM (Mildura) (14:41): (1460) My question is for the Minister for Ambulance Services, and my question is: when Mildura and Red Cliffs residents call for ambulances this week, why are they being sent taxis? I understand that our hardworking ambos in Mildura and right across the region have been ramped at the hospital. This is nothing unusual, and being sent a taxi at times is not that unusual, but my office has received three calls in the last two days about this happening, and in two cases this was for abdominal pain. A Red Cliffs man called an ambulance for severe abdominal pain. It turns out he had appendicitis and needed an appendectomy. The taxi driver had a lot of trouble trying to load him into his taxi to transport him to hospital, because obviously it is not his job and not what he is trained for. My question for the Minister for Ambulance Services is: why are Mildura and Red Cliffs residents calling for ambulances and getting taxis?