What About The Ambulance?

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 83, 19 August 1953, Page 4

What About The Ambulance?

•f ■: 4 SINCE it began operations 011 October 6, 1951, not quite two years ago, the ambulance of the Taupo St. John Ambulance Brigade has travelled on its missions of mercy a distance of 18,443 miles. During the present Ambulance year, which began on October 1st, 1952, it has travelled. 8,860 miles in making 77 trips, an. average per trip of 115 miles. During the campaign for funds to secure an ambulance, the urgenf need that existed was often stressed by those with personal knowledge of local conditions. But it would probably be true to say that the actual need, as shown by the figures quoted, has proved to be considerably greater than anyone had realised.

When the ambulance began its work in Taupo the St. John Ambui lance Association inaugurated a ! scheme of annual subscription to assist in financing that work, calling the scheme,, what in fact it was, a family benefit scheme. An annual payment of 25/- per family entitled parents and children under sixteen years of age to ambulance serviee during the year free of further charge. About £250 was received last year under this scheme. So far this financial year, however, only about a fifth of the subscribers have so far renewed their subscriptions. There is no doubt that the delay in I renewing is largely due to f orgetfulness, but the urgency of the need I for payment of the subscriptions must be stressed.

During the whole period of ambul- , j ance operation the manning of the j ambulance has been the voluntary; and unpaid work of members of the Brigade and its Nursing Division. Not only have these men and womI en turned out at any hour of the day J or night when called upon, but they have also spent regular periods at instructional classes. Only in the past f ortnight has a regular paid I driver been employed. This drivei is J now on call from midnight on Sunday to five p.m. on Friday, during the hours between midnight and five p.m. daily. Outside those hours the

ambulance is still driven by voluntary and unpaid drivers of the Brigade. And the nurse attendant on every trip is still an unpaid member of the Nursing Division. Another point worthy of note is that many Brigade members are men in business on their' own account, who, when called for ambulance duty, have to close down their businesses. Nor should it be forgotten that employers have in many cases played a generous part in allowing Brigade members employed by them to be absent on ambulance calls. In view of the unselfish serviee that is being given to the community by the Brigade members, it is surely but

fair and reasonable that the members of the community should continue to do their part in making the serviee possible. Prompt payment to the Association of annual subscriptions for the current financial year would be one way of showing appreciation of the devotion and efficiency of the Brigade. The serviee being rendered by the ambulance is one that is vitally necessary. It is being provided voluntarily, and no other body or organisation, public or private, has seen fit to provide it. A subsidy is received from the Hospital Board, but it is quite inadequate to cover expenses, It has occasionally been said that such a serviee should be provided free of cost, and no one would deny that a case could be argued for that

view. But to hold that view is no excuse for not subscribing now to the expenses of the serviee already, being T given. . The serviee must be) enabled to continue, and it can con> tinue only so long as the public backa up the work of the Brigade by its financial help. In view of the sacrifices of timo and effort being made by the Brigade members, it is surely a small thing for the rest of ufl-to be asked to make an annual subscription. And as good intentions alone will pay no running expenses, let us pay our "subs." at once.