Ambulance Victoria under fire after illegal funeral involving up to 40 people during Covid pandemic exposed in parliament inquiry
A secret funeral held for an Ambulance Victoria paramedic has come under the microscope in a parliament inquiry into the state agency.
The funeral came under investigation following a submission to the inquiry about the event which was held in September 2021, the Herald Sun reported.
Up to 40 people attended the secret service for the former colleague, including paramedics of various roles including the Ambulance Victoria commander, area managers, clinical support officers and the Pipes and Drums Band.
At the time, strict restrictions were in place on social gatherings, with a 10-person limit enforced by the former Andrews government.
This meant many loved ones were unable to farewell friends and family who died during the lockdown.
According to the submission, an email chain organising the event said the location was chosen to "avoid public eyes".
It also said there were on-shift paramedics that objected to the funeral, but were still directed to "rearrange ambulances for the event" and to hand over the keys to their ambulances "to allow the beacons to be turned on for the hearse".
"The public was expected to abide by the public health restrictions and people were unable to go to their loved one's funerals," the submission read.
"Many staff were distressed by the event, their wellbeing was significantly impacted, and morale plummeted."
Acting Ambulance Victoria CEO Andrew Crisp, who was not in charge at the time of the funeral, didn't object to any of the claims put forward in the submission.
"Ambulance Victoria is aware of a funeral gathering that regrettably took place during a challenging time for all Victorians," he said.
"The gathering contravened Victorian Covid-19 restrictions and was not in line with AV's values or our commitment to public safety and community trust.
"We continue to engage with the Legal and Social Issues Committee Inquiry with a genuine desire to improve our workplace and the services we provide."
The funeral was allegedly approved by senior Victoria Ambulance management.
Its approval was later referred to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission and an internal AV inquiry.
The Ambulance Victoria internal inquiry's findings remain secret, with shadow health spokesperson Georgie Crozier calling for the details to be made public.
"AV Needs to release in full the report into the investigation they undertook," she said.
"Victorians deserve to understand why this occurred, and what action was taken."
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