A FATHER was forced to watch his son in agony for hours, while waiting for an ambulance at a football match at Yallourn North on Saturday.
The Yallourn-Yallourn North Football community was left in shock when a reserves player broke his leg during the match against Yinnar.
The incident happened during the third quarter at the George Bates Reserve.
YYNFC runner Jim Armstrong helped carry the man off the field, and said the incident was distressing for everyone involved.
“We are only 10 minutes from the main hospital yet we can’t get a bloody ambulance,” Mr Armstrong said.
After calls to Ambulance Victoria every half hour, the club discovered the first dispatched ambulance was detoured.
Mr Armstrong said it was “not good enough” the sports club was put in the distressing situation.
“(Paramedics) knew it was a broken leg; we aren’t doctors so we didn’t know whether he was bleeding on the inside,” he said.
“It is not good enough, having kids playing football and have this happen.”
He said it was difficult to explain to the injured player’s father the ambulance was delayed and the club was unable to move his son for liability reasons.
“If we could have transported him to hospital safely, we would have, but because of public liability the club can not do that,” Mr Armstrong said.
Paramedics advised the club not to administer painkillers or give the injured player food or water while he waited for them to arrive, according to Mr Armstrong.
“Two-and-a-half hours is a bloody long time to be waiting in pain,” he said.
Ambulance Victoria Gippsland acting regional manager Mick Stephenson said an ambulance was sent as soon as one was available.
“We regret that the patient waited for such a long time,” Mr Stephenson said.
“Ambulances are sent to life-threatening cases ahead of others; a number of ambulances were dispatched to the football ground and were diverted to more urgent jobs before reaching him.”
He said Saturday was a “busy day” for Gippsland ambulances.
