Video shows 16 ambulances ramped at RAH and asks how SA will cope if Covid gets in

A video shows shocking ramping at the RAH on Monday night – but the SA ambulance service claims demand was “below predictions”.

The Ambulance Employees Association has released another video showing the regular state of ramping in hospitals, with 16 ambulances in the queue at the Royal Adelaide Hospital car park at 11pm on Monday.

A voice-over as the video follows the lines of ambulances says: “Another disaster at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and we have got severe trauma coming in, Medstar crews. It just can’t get any worse than this.

“What’s going to happen in a couple of weeks if we end up with Covid?”

It comes as tough new restrictions were introduced in the South East as authorities scramble to determine the exact movements of a Mt Gambier mother who contracted Covid in Victoria, where cases exploded to 1763 on Tuesday.

The union’s social media post describes it as “another disastrous night of ramping" and asks: “Is the Marshall Government incapable or unwilling to resolve this crisis?”

Another disastrous night of ramping.

This video was taken at 11pm last night at the RAH.

Is the Marshall Government incapable or unwilling to resolve this crisis? #stopramping#istandwithourambospic.twitter.com/OR2eyfh3hE

— Ambulance Employees Association (SA) (@aeasa1981) October 4, 2021

The crush at the RAH continued into Tuesday morning — at 11am there were 63 people being treated in its 69-capacity emergency department and an average wait of just under an hour.

The ED was clogged with 42 people who had been treated and were waiting for a bed. These included five waiting for more than 24 hours and 10 waiting for 12-to-24 hours.

Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton said it was a “shocking state of affairs.”

“This is in a situation where we don’t have Covid spread in our community,” he said.

“Clearly our health system is not coping even without Covid, we can only imagine how bad things are going to be when Covid comes in.”

He criticised the government for not announcing plans for how the health system will address the arrival of Covid, noting it no longer had leases on the former Wakefield Hospital and College Grove facility.

He called for extra bed capacity and “sufficient” doctors, nurses and paramedics to cope with the expected surge in demand, saying “we need more hands on deck.”

“We are in one of the worst situations in Australia to deal with Delta,” he said.

Government officials continue to draft plans to deal with opening the borders but have briefed the Australian Medical Association to expect Covid cases to surge to a high of about 4000 as restrictions are lifted — a load the AMA says will “completely overwhelm any health system.”

SA Ambulance Service confirmed demand was high for short periods on Monday but said it was unaware 16 ambulances were ramped.

It said sometimes ambulances at a hospital may be involved in patient handover, cleaning and preparing for their next response, or assisting patients home after an episode of emergency department care.

“Overall, ambulance demand was below predictions on Monday but there were two short, busy periods in the evening,” a spokesman said.

“South Australians can remain confident that no matter how many ambulances are at hospitals, SAAS will always prioritise the sickest of patients requiring lifesaving emergency treatment.

“It is challenging for our crews and our communities when ramping occurs, and ambulance availability is reduced. Additional metropolitan ambulances will commence in October and recruitment continues for additional experienced paramedics to bolster our workforce.”