A paramedic who started an overnight shift on Friday with no partner and no ambulance says it was "just another day" in the Tasmanian health crisis.
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Based at Glenorchy, Mattie Pickering took to social media to voice his concerns on how the state's paramedics and communication officers had been worked to "beyond breaking point".
It comes as six Northern paramedics picked up overtime shifts at the weekend to help meet demand in the state's South, with 12 vacant shifts across the state.
Mr Pickering said nearly a decade of budget savings had pushed the system to the point where ambulances were old and failing.
"Everyone loves turning up to work and finding there's nothing to do. But when you're the only overnight paramedic for a city of nearly 50,000 people, including your own family, it's not such a novelty," he wrote.
"So as a result I sit here alone, with no partner and no ambulance. In a city of 50,000 people."
As of early Saturday evening the post had been shared online more than 880 times and received almost 300 comments.
The Health and Community Services Union have labelled it as a desperate plea for government action.
Assistant secretary Robbie Moore said the situation compromised the safety of paramedics and undermined community expectations for access to services.
"Paramedics have had enough. This post shows how desperate they have become," he said.
"There is no light at the end of the tunnel.
"We are really concerned about the safety issue - no paramedic should be working on their own.
"Both for their safety and to give the treatment the community expects and deserves."
However, Ambulance Tasmania chief executive Neil Kirby said there was no adverse operational incidents reported to him on Friday night.
Acknowledging a "higher than usual number of unavailabilities" in the southern region at the weekend, Mr Kirby said staff continued to deliver a high performing service.
"Ambulance Tasmania is impacted by staff absence, as is every other workplace," he said.
"Leave requests are granted, rosters are finalised, and then sick leave is accommodated.
"Staff are entitled to take leave or be unavailable for additional shifts, so when short-term illness leave spikes, resourcing can become challenging."
On Saturday Police, Fire and Emergency Management Minister Mark Shelton said the government had a plan to recruit more paramedics.
"As part of an election commitment there are more paramedics being rolled out to regional areas across Tasmania," he said.
"That's our policy and we will be making sure that where under-staffing is a problem, that that's a priority area for the government."
The government has committed $125 million for Ambulance Tasmania over six years, including the progressive recruitment of 42 paramedics.
However Mr Moore said Tasmania needed more paramedics now.
"The reality is we are seeing ambulances at absolute crisis points," he said.
"We need paramedics now, we need to recruit people from interstate.
"We know sick leave is higher, because of the stress workers are under, and the amount of overtime they are having to work.
"If there is sick leave or absentees, obviously the people who you would normally call on for overtime in the North, won't be there. They will be in Hobart."
Mr Kirby said Ambulance Tasmania was commencing interviews for additional paramedic positions, expected to come on line in the coming months, and supporting volunteers.
He also said there was no evidence that any vehicle currently deployed by Ambulance Tasmania was not fit for service.
"I want to thank our hardworking paramedics for the dedication they show our community every single shift."