Supplementary to Question No. 5 in the
Legislative Council on 10 July 1985
Dr. Ip:- Sir, as regards the motor cycle ambulance support scheme, is the
department considering a more sophisticated medical training scheme for such
motor cycle ambulancemen i.e. if they were to be revived? I believe there
had been once a terminology called Paramedic' that was suggested at some
stage.
Secretary for Security:- Yes, Sir, the question is whether this ambulanceman
on the motor cycle should be trained up to what is termed 'paramedic' level.
It is actually quite a tricky question to answer; it is a question of balancing
some quite expensive training costs with the benefits to be gained by a man on
a motor cycle, literally minutes ahead of an ambulance, having quite a high
level of training. It is actually a tricky balancing exercise. What we are
doing, Sir, is asking the consultant who will be undertaking a review of the
ambulance services as a whole to have a look at this particular question. It
may well mean that he would have to refer back to other authorities to get
medical advice.