REPLY TO CRITICISM.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 457, 19 May 1932, Page 10

REPLY TO CRITICISM.

St John Free Ambulance Association. “The St John Free Ambulance is getting a tremendous amount of blame for alleged delays in the arrival of a van on the scene of accidents. It is time that something was done to avoid the blame being placed on the association’s shoulders,” declared a member of the St John Ambulance Association at the meeting last night. Statements were made that an injured man had had to wait for half an hour in the lift of a city firm before an ambulance van arrived to take him to hospital. The St John Free Ambulance, the van of which conveyed the case, was blamed but it transpired that though a telephone message had been sent just after the accident it was not sent to the St John Ambulance, which received no advice till nearly half an hour later. The chairman (Dr J. R. Thomas) made an explanation concerning the recent fatal collision on Bealey Avenue, and said that the St John vehicle was on the scene three minutes after the summons. Critics should remember that it was not the time between the accident and the arrival of the van, but between the time the call was given and the arrival. Dr M. G. Louisson: The trouble cannot be rectified while there are two free ambulances. The chairman: We can only do our work properly, but we cannot accept responsibility for the actions of others, i