By Alesha Capone
A group of generous motorcyclists is displaying true community spirit by volunteering their time to help Werribee Mercy Hospital support COVID patients.
BloodBikes Victoria volunteer coordinator Robert Chrisomalidis said that the group was a “last resort service” for health providers needing to transport medical supplies, samples, specimens and blood products any time of the day or night.
Mr Chrisomalidis said Werribee Mercy contacted BloodBikes Victoria in December 2021, asking for volunteers to deliver COVID home monitoring kits to patients in Wyndham who are staying at home while ill, rather than in hospital.
Mr Chrisomalidis said the hospital could not spare staff to deliver the kits.
To help out, the volunteer motorcyclists have been making multiple trips between Werribee Mercy and patients’ homes every day.
Many volunteers travel from the eastern suburbs to Werribee so they provide assistance, alongside local motorbike owners.
Mr Chrisomalidis said that a volunteer from Bentleigh, Chris Renwick, has been making the journey to Werribee two to three times per week to lend a hand.
Mr Renwick recently completed the BloodBikes organisation’s 2000th delivery within Australia.
“Some places we go, they don’t realise we are volunteers, they think we are couriers,” Mr Chrisomalidis said.
“Those who know we are volunteers, such as the places we regularly make trips for, can’t thank us enough.”
One of the regular weekly trips the volunteers make is between the Epworth Geelong hospital and a Collingwood laboratory.
BloodBikes Australia was founded in 2019 by Queensland man Peter Davis, based on a similar concept in the United Kingdom.
Across the nation, the volunteers make deliveries on behalf of 32 healthcare providers.
Victoria’s 76 Bloodbikes volunteers have covered about 20,000 kilometres, since mid-2021.
Mr Chrisomalidis said the volunteers included full-time workers, plus retired and semi-retired people.
He said there was a “great camaraderie” between the volunteers, a few of whom use cars to make deliveries rather than motorbikes.
Bloodbikes Victoria is on the lookout for more volunteer motorcyclists and drivers to make deliveries, and also welcomes healthcare providers in need of assistance.
“It’s a really worthwhile thing – people are incredibly grateful and think it’s great,” Mr Chrisomalidis said.
Details: bloodbikesaustralia.org.au/, www.facebook.com/bloodbikesaustralia/
