Thursday, November 9, 2017
Sven Carlsson
THE Te Kaha community is being promised a Christmas present, thanks to the BayTrust.
Te Kaha has for a long time relied on ambulances being dispatched from either Waihau Bay or Opotiki but a $33,000 grant from BayTrust to St John will see the ambulance rolling soon.
St John operations manager Jeremy Gooders said he was confident the remaining funds would be found and Te Kaha’s ambulance should be on the road by Christmas.
“We will be recruiting an experienced ambulance officer for a 12-month fixed-term contract to staff the ambulance five days a week,” Mr Gooders explains.
“During that time, they will also be required to recruit volunteers from the Te Kaha community who can be trained and able to accompany them on call-outs to gain experience and confidence.”
Mr Gooders said the intention was to create an operating Te Kaha volunteer group over the next year which would then crew the ambulance service going forward.
“We’re extremely grateful to BayTrust for its contribution to such a worthwhile project,” he said.
“Te Kaha is remote and the community has a range of significant health issues so we want to provide a better service there.”
In addition to caring for patients and recruiting volunteers, the new ambulance officer would help deliver community health initiatives such as checking blood pressure and raising awareness about fall prevention around the home.
Te Kaha GP Dr Rachel Thomson said she welcomed the news.
“I think it’s an innovative approach to provide a vital service to a high-need, isolated, rural community,” she said.
BayTrust chief executive Alastair Rhodes said time was crucial in any emergency and Te Kaha residents would benefit from having an ambulance officer based in the community.
“St John provides a wonderful service and first-rate care,” he said.
“But, contrary to popular belief, they are not fully-funded by the Government.
“BayTrust is pleased to make this contribution to help them enhance their service to Eastern Bay of Plenty residents and help make our region the greatest place to be.”