OUR AMBULANCE PERSPECTIVE

NZ Truth, Issue 1293, 18 September 1930, Page 4

OUR AMBULANCE PERSPECTIVE

Amazing Growth of Free Ambulance Which Serves Accident, Medical and Maternity Cases SYSTEM HAS PROVED INVALUABLE (By Fred Roffe, Superintendent of the Wellington Free Ambulance, m a special interview with "N.Z. Truth.") It is only within the last decade or two that the world has become really "ambulance minded". — that is, that it has paid sufficient attention to the matter of transporting the sick and injured to hospital, but so far as Free Ambulance work is concerned I think Australia leads the way. They have realised the wonderful benefits the community derives from an organised system df free ambulance transportation. New Zealand, too, is now looking forward with confidence to the time when the free ambulance system will be extended to all the main cities and districts. i

FREE ambulance work is not a passing- phase, nor is it a service that benefits a certain section of the community. Under efficient" control its work is wide and- varied, and prompt and skilled service is rendered immediately upon request. In the forefront of free ambulance work, Wellington has demonstrated conclusively that the system is invaluable, embracing as it does every type of work — accident, medical and maternity cases. Having organised free ambulance services m both Queensland and ISTew South Wales, and having seen the remarkable work carried out there, I was fully confident that the people of Wellington and district would respond when I undertook to commence the work m Wellington. The work commenced on November 9, 1927— a little under three years ago — and since that date the service has never looked back. There were those who prophesied that the Free Ambulance would never flourish, but its record of accomplishments is irrefutable proof to the contrary. The initial start was made .with two new cars, one presented by Mr. Norwood and the other by the Wellington Hospital Board. We also took over two old cars from the hospital and one from the -Harbor Board. There were four men other than myself, and as the service grew and we were able to purchase new equipment, the old cars were passed back to the original owners. Active organising of contributions from offices, factories and shops commenced and a large majority of these firms, through their staffs, supply the "sinews of war" regularly each month. During this early period the active work of the ambulance service was going on, and because of the fact that we were able to supply a better service the work increased and m a like manner the support also increased. People realised the benefits to be derived from having an up-to-date service &X. their disposal. The financial position kept getting better, and outside districts which had been called on to pay large fees for ambulance transport realised the good work being done, and organised various benefit functions. As finances permitted, and as the work increased, so was the staff enlarged until to-day there are eight first aid men m the service and a fleet of seven ambulance cars. People now realise the wonderful benefit of having these fully

qualified first aid men ready ' to land with .an ambulance at a given spot soon after being summoned.

The plant m operation before the Free Ambulance started was totally inadequate for the purpose and street accidents and medical cases had to rely to a large extent on taxis or ordinary cars to convey them to hospital.

Our work at the present time has expanded into all fields. .When the staff' and the plant grew, maternity' work was added to the list of cases attended to. Medical cases are dispatched to both public and private

hospitals, acting under instructions from medical men of the city and surrounding district. Maternity cases and accident and emergency cases are attended to immediately upon receipt of .a. call, and all these cases have the benefit of being attended to by skilled and qualified ambulance men. The area at present "being served comprises the whole of-the Wellington hospital district, which stretches from the Rimutakas on the one side to. Otaki on the other. - Patients are conveyed from their homes or hospitals to the ferry boats or vice versa, are met at trains, and X-Ray cases are taken from the hospitals to specialists.

There is no limit to the work being undertaken. Sick people, or those unable to leave a bed are conveyed at the request of those concerned from one home to another. There are also bedridden cases which require treatment and the ambulance shift them backwards and forwards to the hospital. We have also been requested to remove sick people from one room to another m a house, but this work all comes within the sphere of free ambulance activity, and no one has' been asked to pay a penny piece for any service rendered. It is all voluntary, but the extent to which it is appreciated is shown m the hundreds of letters and donations we receive through the mail. Apart from voluntary contributions funds come from grants from local bodies and from personal subscriptions, staff contributions and benefit contributions. These funds are meeting all the charges of the service with the exception of capital expenditure. More commodious arid up-to-date premises are required to allow of 100 per cent, efficiency being attained, and for this purpose the Free Ambulance Art Union is being run; •-During the period of operation the Free Ambulance has attended to 17,386 cases and the ambulances/ have covered 182,077 miles. The service here is always growing and it will extend to other centres. The other major cities, wfyen they realise the immense amount of good work be jng carried out will nov doubt institute similar services, and these m time will spread "to the smaller towns. As m Australia, they will each have their superintendent and own Board of Control, but there will be a central executive comprised of representatives from each centre. <• Under such a widespread organisation^ the public will have. the benefit of skilled and qualified ambulance men tb do the work, which is not the case at present. We are only on the fringe of ambulance work as yet, when compared with what can be carried out. In Queensland alone there/ are 74 ambulance centres, ' but there, apart from voluntary contributions, the Government subsidise funds by 15/-. I hope to see the time when a subsidy of some nature is granted to us here and a Dominion Ambulance Service- m. operation under an Ambulance [Act.