Dr Christian Rowan MP, the State Member for Moggill and Deputy Chair of the Health, Communities, Disability Services, Domestic & Family Violence Prevention Committee, is pleased Health Minister Cameron Dick will finally take action to prevent attacks on paramedics and health workers, after calling for a public awareness campaign since December last year.
Dr Rowan said an awareness campaign was vital to educate the public on the
important role of ambulance officers and paramedics in the community and he
welcomed the government’s adoption of the LNP’s idea.
“It is simply unacceptable for people to threaten the safety of our frontline
paramedics and ambulance officers,” Dr Rowan said.
“These men and women are out there risking their own safety to save the lives of other Queenslanders.
“That’s why the LNP launched and sponsored a community petition calling for a trial of body cameras for paramedics and the launch of a campaign to bring the issue of violence and aggression towards health workers to the public’s attention.
“It’s encouraging that after months of pressure from the opposition, the state
government will embark on this public campaign.
“Our health workers deserve to have the government exploring every avenue to ensure that they can work in a safe environment.”
Key facts:
From June 2014 to June 2015 there was a 36 per cent increase to the number of health staff being kicked, hit and injured.
The LNP Government doubled the penalty for assaulting health workers in 2014 to a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment.
