Dan OhsA rise in stabbing and gunshot wounds in the South has contributed to a ‘‘record’’ demand for ambulances and paramedics. St John Southland-Otago district operations manager David Milne said ambulance assistance due to stabbing or gunshot wounds was up 69% in Southland — from 13 incidents in 2024 to 22 in 2025. There was a 24% rise in Otago, where the numbers rose from 29 to 36 stabbing or gunshot incidents. Falls were now one of the leading reasons for ambulance demand and disproportionately affected older people. Higher-acuity cases continued to dominate ambulance demand — patients with serious, but not immediately life-threatening conditions accounted for 43% of incidents nationally.
