Another intake of Ambulance Victoria's Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics is set to hit the road next month - delivering more specialised, lifesaving care to Victorians when they need it most.
Minister for Ambulance Services Mary-Anne Thomas visited Ambulance Victoria Capability Hub at Victoria University in Sunshine to meet the 14 new interns who will join Victoria's 586-strong MICA team.
The group started their six-week training course in September and will graduate in early November - with five to be based in metropolitan Melbourne and nine across regional branches in Geelong, Morwell, Bendigo and Mildura.
To be eligible to undertake the bridging program and become a MICA Paramedic, participants must be qualified for at least two years as an Advanced Life Support Paramedic.
The course covers clinical responses to respiratory, cardiac, paediatric and obstetrics incidents as well as sessions with specialists on welfare, wellbeing, pharmacy and leadership.
Once theoretical training is complete, the MICA interns begin 18 months of practical on road training which is undertaken across the state.
Working in pairs or solo, MICA paramedics can manage complex cases with advanced procedures such as airway management, head and chest trauma care, and cardiac emergencies.
They can also administer medications into bone and fluids in paediatric patients - providing immediate treatment that can help save lives.
The Allan Labor Government will always back Victoria's ambulance workforce,investing more than $2 billion and growing the on-road workforce by more than 50 per cent.
This investment also includes delivering 46 new or upgraded ambulance stations, establishing a new Centre for Paramedicine, in partnership with Victoria University, and training Australia's first Paramedic Practitioners and more MICA paramedics.
This year's Victorian Budget 2025/26 invested a further $58.4 million to expand emergency department capacity and short stay units, and an extra $146 million to support faster emergency care across the state.
These investments are as important as ever, with the latest quarterly performance data revealing Victoria's hardworking paramedics continue to face record demand, responding to more than 98,000 Code 1 cases.
As stated by Minister for Ambulance Services Mary-Anne Thomas
"Our MICA paramedics are some of the world's best - it's why we continue to back our ambulance service and invest in our paramedics, so they can keep delivering world-class emergency care to all Victorians."
"Victoria continues to lead the way in paramedic education, and this latest cohort of MICA interns will bring their lifesaving expertise to communities across the state, when they need it most."
