15 October 2008

Community given Day to Thank a Paramedic

NSW Minister for Health, John Della Bosca today announced the first annual 'Thank a Paramedic Day' to be held on Thursday 20 November 2008.

Mr Della Bosca said the special event would allow the public to recognise the invaluable role of the NSW Ambulance Force and pay tribute to their contribution to the community.

"The Rees Government is paying homage to valuable work of the NSW Ambulance Service with this special event," Mr Della Bosca said.

"The Ambulance Service of NSW is one of the best performing in the country, and the pressures on our ambulance service and paramedics are intense.

"Our Ambulance officers put their lives on the line every day without hesitation to help others in need - saving lives is all in a days work for the 3000 strong force," he said.

"During 2007/08 there were over one million ambulance responses to emergency and non-emergency incidents.

"They respond to serious incidents on a daily basis and rarely ask for thanks - they are the unsung heroes in our community," the Minister said.

Mr Della Bosca said the inaugural 'Thank a Paramedic Day' celebration would be held in all four divisions of the Ambulance Service in NSW.

"Thank a Paramedic Day' will provide the community the chance to publicly celebrate the thousands of paramedics in NSW who have touched so many lives," the Minister said.

"This recognition event is the first event of its kind for the Ambulance Service of NSW.

"Paramedics will also get the opportunity to meet some of the patients they may have saved or whose lives they have affected - something they rarely get an opportunity to do.

"Often patients never know the names of the paramedic who came to help during their time in distress. Whilst nameless, they are not forgotten," he added.

The Sydney Thank a Paramedic Day will be held at 10:30 am, 20 November 2008
Masonic Centre, Corner Castlereagh and Goulburn Streets, Haymarket.

Details for ceremonies in the Northern, Southern and Western Divisions of the NSW Ambulance service will be announced shortly.

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au