Injury treatment delays highlight problems

Two incidents in Wairarapa-Bush rugby over the past month have raised concerns over the time taken by local ambulance crews to respond to calls but WBRFU officials are loathe to criticise them.
Puketoi player-coach Tahi Hiroki was injured in a first half scrum collapse in a senior first division game against East Coast at Whareama and while the ambulace was called almost immediately it did not arrive until the game's end.
And just last Saturday it was an East Coast senior first division plaer on the receiving end centre Saan Aporo being knocked out in a tackle situation at the Park Sportsground and the ambulance taking at least 20 minutes to arrive despite the close proximity between the venue of the game and Masterton Hospital. Fortunately neither Hiroki or Aporo were seriously injured, Hiroki suffering bruising to the neck and back and Aporo recovering to the point where he actually managed to walk off the field before ambulance officers attended to him
But the incidents justifiably raised questions from team management, players and spectators regarding as to what might have occurred had the players concerned required expert medical advice, and quickly at that.
WBRFU chief executive officer Phil Taylor said the Aporo situation had been thoroughly investigated by the union and it was clear it was a case of the ambulance people simply not having the resources to get to the Park Sportsground any quicker than they did
"It was certainly not a question of them mucking around, they were there just as quickly as they possibly could be," he said.. "They were very apologetic about the time it took but when you don't have either the number of ambulances on the road or the personnel required to service them this sort of thing is going to happen from time to time.We have had similar cases where they took only five minutes to arrive, it's a matter of how busy they are when things happen."
Taylor said it was unfortunate too that the old days when St John attendants were at practically every Wairarapa-Bush rugby ground on a Saturday afternoon no longer applied, there too because of a lack of numbers. "They were a huge benefit to the game but you just don't see them anymore," he said.
Attending to the less serious injuries which occur nowadays is generally the responsibility of the clubs themselves with each team expected to have someone on deck who has at least a good, basic knowledge of first aid.
"Fortunately for us the clubs take that responsibility very seriously so when injuries do happen the initial treatment given the players is usually pretty much what it should be," Taylor said.
"And when it could be something major the priority is to leave the player where he is and keep them warm until the ambulance arrives.Obviously it's not a perfect system but it is the best we can do.".