A Wollongong paramedic has undergone surgery for a broken leg following an alleged assault by a man blocking his ambulance from entering Wollongong Hospital on Thursday.
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The 57-year-old paramedic - who's been on the job for 33 years - suffered two fractures to his lower left leg and a dislocated kneecap during the incident which occurred around 3.30pm.
He had been speaking with a 34-year-old man who had allegedly stood in front of the hospital driveway on Darling Street, blocking two ambulances trying to get in.
The paramedic, who was in the second ambulance, attempted to get the man to move to allow the ambulance into the hospital as they had a patient onboard in need of urgent medical attention.
Police allege the man refused to move or cooperate with the paramedic's demands, and then grabbed hold of him, wrestled him to the ground, threw him over his leg and fell on top of him.
The man then fled the scene, but was found nearby a short time later by police.
On Friday, Wollongong Police Inspector Matthew Glasgow said the Mangerton man had allegedly twice been told to leave Wollongong Hospital by security prior to the incident.
"He's attended the hospital (around midday) with a medical condition and just due to his behaviour, being aggressive, belligerent and swearing, in the hospital grounds, he was removed by staff and security," Inspector Glasgow alleged.
"He went home, then has returned again, the same sort of behaviour, so he's been told to leave. ... That's when he (allegedly) went out and made the decision to block an ambulance from entering the emergency bay."
Insp Glasgow said the police had not been called during the first two incidents at the hospital, but had responded quickly after reports a paramedic had been allegedly assaulted.
"(The man) did run from the scene," he said. "But he was located a short distance away, there was no altercation with police, he was arrested and conveyed back to Wollongong police station."
The man was charged with four offences, including reckless grievous bodily harm, obstruct or hinder ambulance officer by act of violence, obstruct or hinder ambulance officer providing service to other and offensive conduct.
Insp Glasgow said the maximum penalty for the most serious offence was 10 years jail.
He said an attack on a frontline worker was "extremely concerning".
"No one needs to be putting their hands on or assaulting any other person, particularly a first responder, particularly an ambulance officer that is out there trying to help people," he said.
NSW Ambulance Superintendent Jade Marks said assaults on paramedics were becoming increasingly common.
"Any attack on an ambulance officer and paramedic assault we find to be completely unacceptable and is something that is very disturbing to us," she said.
Illawarra Inspector Norm Rees attended the scene, and offered support to the injured paramedic and his colleagues.
"Seeing one of their own injured was upsetting," Insp Rees said.
Labor's health spokesman Keira MP Ryan Park has called on the NSW Government to put more safety measures in place for paramedics.
"Paramedics aren't punching bags and it's time this government stop making out they give a damn about the health and safety and actually put in place the measures that they have been asking for now for years," he said.
"This includes additional staff especially in busy hospitals like Wollongong, better training and equipment as well as look at how their powers can be increased to make hospitals safe for staff, visitors and patients."
The Mangerton man was given strict bail conditions and will appear before Wollongong Local Court on July 6.
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