The Ambulance service is under significant pressure due to an overwhelming number of calls, causing delays for those that need an urgent response.
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More than one in five calls to Triple Zero for an ambulance does not require an emergency ambulance response according to the Victorian Government Health Department.
Ambulance Victoria Grampians regional director Tim Maywald said the summer months have increased the amount of calls for help in the region.
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"The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant and unprecedented impact on health systems including Ambulance Victoria (AV) and hospital emergency departments," he said.
"Our AV and partner agency staff in Grampians are working extremely hard to manage the increasing demand while prioritising care to the sickest Victorians.
"Here in the Grampians region, we are continuing to see a very high demand for emergency care, and this is expected to continue for a number of weeks, especially with more visitors to the region than usual."
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Residents who develop mild symptoms can seek support from Nurse on Call, their GP or the COVID Positive Pathway contact that they have been provided by their healthcare provider.
Calling an ambulance or attending hospital for mild symptoms slows the health system down and increases the time taken to attend to sick patients.
"We are asking all community members to help us by saving Triple Zero for emergencies," Mr Maywald said.
"Every call for assistance that isn't an emergency puts significant strain on our crews to reach those patients who need us the most."
As part of a whole health system, paramedics are not immune to the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Ambulance Victoria currently has more than 420 staff in isolation due to potential exposure or infection which causes significant resourcing challenges.
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