Soldiers driving ambulances in Victoria amid state's health crisis

Lincoln Holmes reports from Melbourne as COVID-19 cases rise in Victoria.

'A system in crisis' - that’s how some have described Ambulance Victoria, amid new reports of people experiencing long delays while calling Triple 0.

Now, for the first time, only 1 paramedic will be seen in each ambulance instead of 2 - joined by a soldier from the Australian Defence Force.

The state’s hospital system has been under pressure amid the COVID-19 crisis, and it's nothing new. In May, reports declared that Ambulance Victoria was at “breaking point” and it hasn’t gotten any better since.

The new measures come after it was revealed that 2 people died of cardiac arrest this week, after their calls to emergency services remained unanswered for 5 minutes.

A separate call also remained unanswered for 33 minutes.