Boost to health services

Karratha’s St John Ambulance Service could be staffed within the year with paid fulltime paramedics.

Speaking to the Pilbara News, St John country ambulance general manager Julian Smith said the scenario could happen within the next financial year.

“We have paid staff there at the moment as community paramedics,” he said.

“Their role is pretty much to help facilitate the training and recruitment of volunteers there.

“The intention will be to keep one of those people there to help look after the bottom area of the Pilbara — Exmouth and upwards.”

The community paramedic based in Wickham, who also services Roebourne, will remain.

“Initially we would put in two officers and they would pretty much work a day shift,” Mr Smith said.

At the moment, the Karratha sub-centre responds to between 500-600 jobs each year.

“We’re trying to expand the resource into the Pilbara but also job numbers for the Karratha sub-centre have grown as well,” Mr Smith said.

“Between 500 and 1000 (jobs), we then consider putting paid staff into a location.”

The sub-centre is located along Welcome Road, but the service is negotiating to build a new facility on the corners of Welcome and Searipple Road.

Mr Smith said the new building was “vital” to St John.

“Once we have a new facility … we would then, down the track — probably in the next three to four years — look at putting another couple of staff there so at least there was a paramedic 24 hours a day,” he said.

The potential premises would incorporate training for volunteers and facilities for paid paramedics including sleeping accommodation.

Any new building would be built with the long-term demands of the community in mind.

“This is not something we would build and have to relocate in five years,” Mr Smith said.

At the February 18 council meeting, the Shire of Roebourne granted “in-principle” approval for the move.

Shire president Fiona White-Hartig said emergency services were crucial.