THE Hume Region remains one of the few areas in Victoria without a fully funded Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) unit. MICA units are critical in emergency care, staffed by highly trained paramedics equipped to handle life-threatening situations that require more advanced medical intervention than standard ambulances can provide.
State Member for Shepparton District, Kim O’Keeffe, has called on the Minister for Ambulance Services, Mary-Anne Thomas, to establish a fully funded MICA unit in the Hume region. She expressed concern that despite multiple business cases and requests from local paramedic team managers, the region remains one of the only in Victoria without a fully funded MICA unit.
“Shepparton and the Hume region has continually been overlooked for funding from the State Government resourcing a MICA unit. At the moment we only have a Single Responder Unit, SRU which means there is only one MICA paramedic in a sedan,” Ms O’Keeffe said.
Ms O’Keeffe outlined the limitations of the SRU model, which, unlike a full MICA unit that includes two MICA paramedics and the capability to transport patients in a stretcher vehicle, leaves a single paramedic at risk of being exposed to critical procedures on their own.
“The SRU Model was introduced back in 2011 and is no longer suitable for what’s required today. Our paramedics are dealing with a heavy medical workload, often transporting patients long distances due to specialised care not being available locally,” Ms O’Keeffe said.
Ms O’Keeffe also said that she was contacted by a local paramedic, who raised the issue that Greater Shepparton had the highest fatality statistics in 2023.
“The paramedic, raised concerns about the risk of transporting critically ill patients over long distances and the impact this has on the availability of paramedics within the community,” Ms O’Keeffe said. “It is unacceptable that our region, despite numerous requests over the last two decades, has not seen an increase in MICA resources.”
“This government also recently took away a promised fire truck for Shepparton. It is time the government provide” the resources needed for our emergency services in regional Victoria.”