Employees of Smith’s Ambulance in Whitbourne, the company which suddenly lost the contract with Eastern Health last week to service the area, say the move was unjustified.

Monique McGrath, a young paramedic with Smith’s, says the 15 employees found out through a Facebook post by Eastern Health last week even before the company itself could notify them. For now, they are all out of a job.

Eastern Health told them that the ties were severed because of a breach of contract, one of the breaches being their failure to answer an emergency call. McGrath disputes that, she says they have the documentation to prove otherwise.

She says her boyfriend answered the call, therefore there was no breach.

The region is being serviced by other ambulances, at least for the time-being.