The Tasmanian Liberal Government has welcomed another 16 new paramedics who will begin providing life-saving care to the community when they hit the road in the middle of June.
Minister for Health, Jacquie Petrusma, met the graduates at Ambulance Tasmania's headquarters in Cambridge today.
"It's clear the future of our healthcare system is in good hands, with these passionate graduates set to play a vital role by providing emergency care to our community when and where they need it," Minister Petrusma said.
"The graduates are mid-way through their six-week induction program, which provides hands-on training and mentorship to ensure they are well-prepared and supported to deliver emergency care in the community.
"After completing the program next month, they will be deployed to regions across our State, with eight graduates to be based in the South, five in the North and three in the North West.
"There, they will receive on-the-road mentoring and support as they transition into their roles.
"I congratulate them on reaching this significant milestone in their careers and thank them for their dedication to serving their community.
"Under our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future, we've committed to recruiting 78 full-time paramedics in the biggest recruitment blitz in Tasmania's history.
"We've now recruited more than 3,000 healthcare workers across our health system since late April last year, and we look forward to welcoming more paramedics in the coming months as recruitment continues."
These 16 new graduates follow other recent intakes. Since April last year, 77 new paramedics including graduates and qualified paramedics from interstate and overseas have commenced working with Ambulance Tasmania.
Most of this latest cohort are University of Tasmania (UTAS) graduates, demonstrating the continued strong partnership between the Tasmanian health system and UTAS.
