Thursday, March 25, 2010
** South Carolina EMS director arrested for threatening to kill estranged wife
** Australian medics complain crank 999 callers taxing system
UNITED STATES NEWS
** The director of a South Carolina ambulance service has been accused of threatening to take his wife’s life. That is the word from Fox Carolina (Jade Hindmom/March 24) which said Cherokee County EMS chief Mitchell Stewart, 48, has been charged with criminal domestic violence. According to the news site, Stewart allegedly told his wife he was going to shoot her during an argument Tuesday;he also apparently twisted her wrist. Held at the Spartanburg County Detention Center following the incident, he has since been released on a $3,000 bond. Stewart and his wife are currently in divorce proceedings.
AUSTRALIA NEWS
** Inadequate EMS resources in Victoria are being stretched to the limit by bogus 999 calls for ailments like paper cuts and insomnia. The Geelong Advertiser (Jessica Craven/March 25) said that is the contention of two Geelong paramedics who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity. According to the newspaper, the duo said members of the public often issue unnecessary help hails because they don’t want to wait in line at ERs;other cranks dial ambulances because they don’t have a regular doctor or are suffering from mental health issues. A lack of 24 hour EMS cover in some areas only further complicates matters. A spokesman for Ambulance Victoria, meanwhile, acknowledged the problem, saying they are working with appropriate agencies to reduce unnecessary callouts. The comments come after a Saturday incident in which two beaten teenagers were rushed to hospital by van because no EMS units were available.
