A Port Augusta family were forced to take their sick baby to hospital in a taxi as there were no ambulances available locally.
According to the Ambulance Employee Association (AEA) around 5:00pm, on Friday, August 25, an ambulance was dispatched from Port Pirie, more than 90km away.
The family panicked and decided to take the baby, who vomited and had shortness of breath, to hospital themselves.
An operational status 'white' was declared, which is an insufficient resources alert, as there were three other patients also waiting.
The AEA acting secretary Josh Karpowicz said the incidents were not isolated.
"We are concerned that the North West and the Spencer Gulf area is significantly short of ambulance resources," he said.
"We saw a patient have a seizure that same day and an ambulance had to be sent from Port Augusta an hour and 20 minutes away."
More paramedics set for the regions
The South Australian Ambulance Service has announced 11 new paramedics to be recruited for the Upper Spencer Gulf by March next year.
The boost will help to stop roster issues with current regional paramedics required to work long on-call hours.
In a statement, an SA Ambulance Service Spokesperson said: "We recognise the increasing demand for ambulance services in some regional areas and it is challenging for both our paramedics and our communities when isolated surges occur.
"We also understand the distress to our patients and families, our staff, and our communities when an ambulance does not arrive as quickly as we or they would like."
However, there are fears these recruits will not be enough to stop delays.
Mr Karpowicz said a future COVID-19 outbreak could be a disaster if there were no ambulances.
"It will not increase the actual ambulances — the ambulances count for Port Augusta and Whyalla will remain at two per those towns," he said.
"I'm concerned if an outbreak was to occur there, the ambulance system would absolutely not cope."
