27 June 2012

Tuggeranong helicopter wrinkly rescue

| johnboy
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The ACT Ambulance Service has activated the Snowy Hydro SouthCare rescue helicopter to retrieve an injured elderly woman in Tuggeranong.

The 83 year old is believed to have sustained a broken ankle at Red Rock Gorge about three kilometres from Kambah Pool.

Update to follow.

1:43pm Wednesday 2012

Time of Emergency Triple Zero (000) call 1.07pm.

ACT Ambulance Service intensive care paramedics on board the Snowy Hydro SouthCare rescue helicopter have landed at Red Rock Gorge and are currently treating the patient.

2:25pm Wednesday 27 June 2012

Correction- Age of elderly female patient 85 years, not 83 years as earlier reported.

ACT Ambulance Service intensive care paramedics have treated the patient for an ankle injury with a possible fracture and flown her to The Canberra Hospital in a stable condition.

3:53pm Wednesday 27 June 2012

[Courtesy ESA]

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HenryBG said :

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And that’s the way it’s been from the outset – some old South Coast wrinkly is too lazy and cheap to travel up to Canberra? Easy! Make the taxpayer helicopter them up here. Happens almost every day.
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And maybe thse fly ins have serious life threatening conditions that can’t be stabilised for a 3 hour drive from somewhere down the coast. Maybe at least in the Southcare there is a doctor on board and the trip might be made within 50 mins.

smeeagain said :

You don’t think that the taxes they paid all through their working lives should somehow factor in to their retirement? I sure hope you don’t expect to get anything from the government after you stop working..

A. Wrinklies never paid much tax at all, if any. Workforce participation was very low compared with now, and they all retired very early compared with what’s going to be the case in the coming decades.

B. Still doesn’t justify using the helicopter & ambulance service at no cost to themselves as a glorified taxi service.

smeeagain said :

I’m going to hazard a guess that perhaps this was a dementia patient who went missing and somehow managed to get herself lost and injured.

It is the most likely explanation for an 85 year old to be walking around Red Rock Gorge. That is not the easiest of walks for people half that age. Perhaps we should send the bill to the retirement home ‘Wrinkles’ escaped from?

HenryBG said :

c_c said :

Many of Southcare’s missions in recent weeks have been patient transfers of older people between hospitals.

And that’s the way it’s been from the outset – some old South Coast wrinkly is too lazy and cheap to travel up to Canberra? Easy! Make the taxpayer helicopter them up here. Happens almost every day.

c_c said :

Cost of a rescue chopper flight is about $3000. Cost of an ACT Ambulance call out is about $900 and this cost is wavered for seniors.

“Waived”, surely?

This is exactly what I’m talking about: they pay no tax and yet gobble up an outrageous proportion of our medical services AND don’t need to pay for it or even take out insurance to cover basic ambulance cover.

c_c said :

I think you’ll find the drunks and the reckless drivers cost taxpayers more for paramedical response.

The sure know how to clog up ED, but they aren’t scamming helicopter rides every day.

You don’t think that the taxes they paid all through their working lives should somehow factor in to their retirement? I sure hope you don’t expect to get anything from the government after you stop working.

I’m going to hazard a guess that perhaps this was a dementia patient who went missing and somehow managed to get herself lost and injured.

c_c said :

Many of Southcare’s missions in recent weeks have been patient transfers of older people between hospitals.

And that’s the way it’s been from the outset – some old South Coast wrinkly is too lazy and cheap to travel up to Canberra? Easy! Make the taxpayer helicopter them up here. Happens almost every day.

c_c said :

Cost of a rescue chopper flight is about $3000. Cost of an ACT Ambulance call out is about $900 and this cost is wavered for seniors.

“Waived”, surely?

This is exactly what I’m talking about: they pay no tax and yet gobble up an outrageous proportion of our medical services AND don’t need to pay for it or even take out insurance to cover basic ambulance cover.

c_c said :

I think you’ll find the drunks and the reckless drivers cost taxpayers more for paramedical response.

The sure know how to clog up ED, but they aren’t scamming helicopter rides every day.

HenryBG said :

I hope she’s paying for her rescue. I wouldn’t want the taxpayers saddled with costs resulting from other people’s risk-taking behaviour.

What do you need intensive care for a broken ankle, anyway? You just make her lean on your shoulder and make her hop back to the car. Pathetic drama-seekers.

Many of Southcare’s missions in recent weeks have been patient transfers of older people between hospitals. On Saturday, they airlifted a young bloke from Yass to Canberra after a bump on the head during footy. It’s an air ambulance, it doesn’t always need to be a disaster for it to be called in.

The whole point of having intensive care paramedics is to be able to assess and treat whatever develops as fast as possible. She may only have had a broken ankle to those who called emergency services. However she could have shock, a heart condition or other pre-existing condition could be worsened. She may have also hit her head when falling risking stroke or internal injuries.She may have been waiting for some time, risking exposure. Minutes count so you don’t hold back.

Now Southcare is not wholly government funded, though the paramedic component is. Cost of a rescue chopper flight is about $3000. Cost of an ACT Ambulance call out is about $900 and this cost is wavered for seniors. I think you’ll find the drunks and the reckless drivers cost taxpayers more for paramedical response.

HenryBG said :

carnardly said :

So my hard-earned money is being wasted sending over-qualified specialists out on simple jobs?

harvyk1 said :

Well, I’d rather help a little old lady out on a walk than any number of young idiots on a Friday or Saturday night wasting resources just cos they drink too much and pop a few pills and pass out – only to do exactly the same thing week after week.

HenryBG said :

Adding to that by giving them free helicopter rides isn’t my idea of money well-spent.

I’m pretty sure that the Southcare helicopter is funded by donations.

Someones being put in a home soon….

HenryBG said :

So my hard-earned money is being wasted sending over-qualified specialists out on simple jobs?

Just to pull you up on that point, from what I have heard, an ambo on joining the service has 3 years to become a paramedic, otherwise they need to find themselves a new job.

Quite frankly when dealing with health issues I’d rather an over qualified person come rescue me than an under qualified person.

Also let we forget, we’re been fed this information in drips and drabs, they would have had all the information to make an informed choice as to the best method of rescue, including a risk assessment of getting their own people in there and out of there as well. Last thing they want is something to happen to a rescuer and thus the rescuer needs rescuing as well.

carnardly said :

the ACT Ambulance guys are qualified intensive care paramedics.

It doesn’t mean she needed intensive care.

So my hard-earned money is being wasted sending over-qualified specialists out on simple jobs?

harvyk1 said :

I hope if you are even in the position where you need emergency services called in, myself and every other tax payer is first given the opportunity to decide if we really want to “waste money” saving your arse.

Because after a comment like this, my answer will be no, HenryBG got themselves into it, HenryBG can get themselves out of it.

Fair enough, I expect nothing less.

I’m a bit sick of elderly welfare scroungers using the helicopter as a taxi service to get them to yet another round of taxpayer-funded visits to the hospital.

A vast amount of money gets spent on medical services for people who are on a pension. Adding to that by giving them free helicopter rides isn’t my idea of money well-spent.

the ACT Ambulance guys are qualified intensive care paramedics. It doesn’t mean she needed intensive care.

HenryBG said :

I hope she’s paying for her rescue. I wouldn’t want the taxpayers saddled with costs resulting from other people’s risk-taking behaviour.

What do you need intensive care for a broken ankle, anyway? You just make her lean on your shoulder and make her hop back to the car. Pathetic drama-seekers.

I hope if you are even in the position where you need emergency services called in, myself and every other tax payer is first given the opportunity to decide if we really want to “waste money” saving your arse.

Because after a comment like this, my answer will be no, HenryBG got themselves into it, HenryBG can get themselves out of it.

HenryBG said :

I hope she’s paying for her rescue. I wouldn’t want the taxpayers saddled with costs resulting from other people’s risk-taking behaviour.

What do you need intensive care for a broken ankle, anyway? You just make her lean on your shoulder and make her hop back to the car. Pathetic drama-seekers.

Wow, that’s a bit harsh. I know a few people this age that have lost most of their ability to walk at all so when I read this I thought it was great that she was fit enough to be out walking and presumably enjoying herself. Hope I’m doing that well at 85.

As for being a drama-seeker, given her age it was probably a very appropriate response to send whatever help she needed. I’m glad she got the help she needed and hope she’s ok.

Maybe when she gets out of hospital she can give you a good talkin’ to!

I hope she’s paying for her rescue. I wouldn’t want the taxpayers saddled with costs resulting from other people’s risk-taking behaviour.

What do you need intensive care for a broken ankle, anyway? You just make her lean on your shoulder and make her hop back to the car. Pathetic drama-seekers.

Nan212 said :

“Tuggeranong helicopter wrinkly rescue”

Seems to me that the headline for this article is a very disrespectful description of that elderly lady – or is that how the younger generation see us now? Hopefully she will be okay.

I think you’ll find that ‘wrinkly’ is a slang term commonly applied to the elderly. It may be disrespectful, but you must admit it is accurate.

“Tuggeranong helicopter wrinkly rescue”

Seems to me that the headline for this article is a very disrespectful description of that elderly lady – or is that how the younger generation see us now? Hopefully she will be okay.

Glad they corrected themselves. I’d hate to see good money wasted on 83 year olds when it should be spent on 85 year olds.

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