Pregnant paramedic allegedly punched and kicked by patient she was treating for a drug overdose
A pregnant Victorian paramedic was allegedly punched repeatedly by a woman she was trying to save from a drug overdose.
The alleged incident sparked outrage in the emergency department, which said a “persistent pattern” of violence against paramedics was on the rise.
According to police, the paramedic was attacked while attending to a patient at a hospital in Hedelberg on May 3.
“The woman was treating a female patient at a hospital on Studley Street when she was attacked at around 5pm,” a Victoria Police spokesman said.
“The victim, a 32-year-old Craigieburn woman, suffered minor injuries and was treated in hospital. Police identified a 40-year-old woman with minor injuries and was treated in hospital.”
Union secretary Danny Hill told the media that the paramedic who was allegedly attacked literally saved the patient’s life.
“They attacked the patient while taking her out of the hospital, punching the paramedic in the head and stomach, the woman was 12 weeks pregnant,” he claimed.
Mr Hill said the paramedic and her unborn child were unharmed, but the dire situation left them unable to treat patients en route.
“She made the decision to come off-road, which is really sad because she’s a dedicated paramedic and wanted to be on the road for as long as she could, but she couldn’t risk putting her unborn child at the kind of risk that paramedics face every day,” he said.
“I think we’ll see a lot of them off-roading where they’ve previously trained much more closely until the end of their pregnancies.”
Ambulance Victoria chief executive Jordan Emery promised paramedics would withdraw from care if they were subjected to violence, unsafe or their lives were in danger.
Mr Emery said staff had their full support in leaving the scene and waiting for police to keep them safe.
He said 1,000 attacks on paramedics were reported last year, with a number of incidents occurring in the past two weeks after an officer was stabbed in the face and neck.
“Another paramedic was assaulted, with a pregnant paramedic punched in the face and stomach while caring for a patient in Melbourne,” Mr Emery said.
“In fact, last week one of my paramedics was bitten, another was pushed, another paramedic had scissors pulled on him.”
Mr Emery said the spate of attacks reflected a horrific pattern of violence against paramedics and first responders who provide care to Victorians every day when they need it.
“If my people are not safe, we will withdraw care, that is the only safe option for my people,” he said.
“We cannot help you or your loved ones if their lives are in danger and we implore Victorians to act now and stop this appalling pattern of violence against our people.”
He said the shocking levels of violence faced by paramedics every day affected all sections of society and was perpetrated by people of all ages and genders across the state.
“It’s not just people in Melbourne. It’s not just people affected by drugs and alcohol. We continue to see shocking rates of violence in all parts of society,” he said.
“Violence against people committed to caring for Victorians, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
He said it was a profound betrayal of people who devoted their lives to caring for others.
“Every day my people have to go to work when they encounter a horrific pattern of violence,” he said.
“But what I have made clear from my first day in this position is that if it is not safe to come in, if they become unsafe while providing care or their lives are in danger, they have my full support to stand back and wait for the police.”
