As 16 new paramedic graduates prepare to hit the road across Tasmania next month, attention has turned to a shortage in the service’s volunteer ranks.
The latest cohort wrapped up their training at Ambulance Tasmania’s Cambridge facility this week, bringing the total number of new paramedics recruited since April last year to 77.
Health Minister Jacquie Petrusma said 12 of the graduates studied at the University of Tasmania, with others coming from aviation and military backgrounds.
“From mid-June they’ll be out and about, with eight of our graduate paramedics going to the south, five to the north and three to the north-west,” she said.
“Our election commitment was 78 new paramedics and we’ve already got a net increase of 50.”
Among the new graduate paramedics is Thomas, originally from South Australia, who transitioned to paramedicine after working as a chef.
“It’s definitely been a three-year degree, a long time in the running, but it’s really exciting to be able to consolidate all that education and eventually get out on road here in such a great community,” he said.
Fellow graduate Georgia, who is heading to northern Tasmania after completing a science degree in Victoria, said she had found her calling in paramedicine.
“I had the privilege of going back to uni to try out paramedicine and I landed on my feet. I feel like I stumbled into the perfect place for me,” Georgia said.
“I came from a small country town in Victoria so the big city was never really appealing. The idea of going to Launceston and the north really brings back that feeling of community, culture that I’ve had through my whole childhood.”
With Volunteer Week approaching, Ambulance Tasmania is hoping to address the significant gap in its volunteer workforce that responds to emergencies in rural and regional areas.
Right now, around 60% of volunteer shifts across the state are going unfilled.
Senior ambulance official Michelle Baxter said volunteers are “key to the success of Ambulance Tasmania” and urged people to connect with their local stations.
“With the gaps that we do have in the volunteers, a lot of organisations are experiencing the same thing as we’re a 24/7 service provider,” Baxter said.
“The leaders of each region have been asked around some strategies that they can employ to attract more volunteers, because we know they’re out there.”
