Army run ambulance phased out

Ruapehu Bulletin, 27 June 1989, Page 3

Army run ambulance phased out

Waiouru' s Army-run ambulance service is to be phased out once the Army is satisfied the Wanganui Area Health Board's is up and running.

"When we're happy he's (WAHB ambulance officer Terry Fisk) got everything ready to operate we'll switch to the Wanganui Area

Health Board's System," said Acting Commanding Officer for the Waiouru Army Training Group Lt-Col Clive Sinclair.

He said Mr Fisk is finding out how many volunteers there are available in the area for the service and that many will be military personnel. Lt-Col Sinclair said running the service until now had been good

staff training but that now the Army was having to more carefully manage its finances and resources. This means leaving it to the civilian service to cover the Desert Road, though Lt-Col Sinclair said in the

event of a disaster the Army would mobilize all emergency resources available. He said up to 90 per cent of overtime workload for the Army's ambulance service has been committed to

civilian work on the Desert Road or in the community. Three special ambulances will continue to be based at Waiouru to cover Army exercises such as live firing. As for the maternity annex at Waiouru Lt-

Col Sinclair said it would remain empty after it closes this Friday. He said there was no present alternative use for it and that the Army would "sit back and see how effective the alternative health care system will be."