A Tasmanian man died after an ambulance was not sent to him despite his wife calling triple-0 and reporting symptoms consistent with a heart attack.
65-year-old Anton Lukacevich died on January 25 last year after experiencing a heart attack at a relative’s home in Mangalore, north of Hobart.
Coroner Simon Cooper found that Mr Lukacevich’s wife called 000 at 10:34am, providing clear information about her husband’s symptoms – including a sudden onset of sweating, shortness of breath and shoulder pain – but the call was incorrectly entered into the Ambulance Tasmania dispatch system.
As a result, Lukacevich was categorised as having “less apparent priority” and no ambulance was sent.
Mr Lukacevich’s wife called 000 again at 12pm when he had collapsed and was not breathing, but despite attempts at CPR, he could not be resuscitated by the time paramedics arrived.
Coroner Cooper said that the failure by Ambulance Tasmania to give the appropriate priority potentially cost Lukacevich his chance of survival.
Ambulance Tasmania has been described by the coroner as having a “non-compliant call taking” response.
