BUDGONG residents are fed up with being left without telephone service, particularly those on Telstra medical priority agreements.
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One resident has resorted to making a large HELP sign he plans to hang in a window should he require help next time his phone is not working.
Ernie Dumpleton, who lives on Mount Scanzi Road, wears a VitalCall bracelet because he is disabled.
“If I fall over, I’m in trouble, that’s why I have VitalCall,” he said.
“But it only works if the phone lines are working and that is very sporadic.
“From January 14 we didn’t have phones out here for nine days, and the mobile phones are useless here.
“If I had fallen over in that time and been hurt, it’s stiff cheddar.
“So I’ve made a big help sign but that’s only going to help me if someone driving past looks up at my house,” he said.
Fellow resident Ken Stewart keeps an eye on Mr Dumpleton’s welfare and is also a medical priority Telstra customer.
Mr Stewart suffers from mini-strokes. He recently collapsed after suffering a mini-stroke. His phone was not working, Telstra had not provided a priority assistance phone and his wife had no way to contact an ambulance.
She rushed him to hospital where he spent two days recovering.
“My wife and I are both on medical priority with Telstra.
“According to Telstra’s charter it is supposed to provide us with a working phone service within 24 hours of our home phone breaking down.
“Our home phone line has stopped working between five and 10 times and we have never received a working phone during those times.”
A Telstra spokesperson said the company was looking into the cases for both customers and apologised for any inconvenience.
