The Australian Medical Association has suggested to 6PR Mornings that West Australians have died unnecessarily due to the state’s ambulance ramping crisis. 

Response times are reportedly getting worse. Almost one-third of priority-one patients waiting 15 minutes for an ambulance to arrive after calling triple-zero.

AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid told Liam Bartlett on Mornings that WA’s health system has been at crisis point for a long time now.

“This pressure, this incredible jammed up nature of the front door of our hospitals, has just become normal,” he said.

“The performance is deteriorating year on year, and in the time this government has been in charge here, those March ramping figures have gone from five or six-hundred to five or six thousand.”

Press PLAY to hear the AHA President’s full comments on WA’s ambulance ramping crisis.

The National Coordinator of the Ambulance Industry for the United Workers Union has agreed with the AHA that the problem is becoming worse.

Fiona Scalon told Liam Bartlett that having more paramedics would help.

“What we have seen in the Eastern states is that particularly when COVID hits the community, it impacts on paramedics as well,” she said.

“They will be needing to take time off as close contacts or as positive patients themselves, and the numbers need to be there to support the service.”

Press PLAY to hear Fiona Scalon on how COVID has affected the health industry over East and what can be expected if ramping continues.