By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
A GREATER Dandenong councillor was attended by paramedics during a ‘‘terrifying’’ health scare at a council meeting in Springvale last night.
Roz Blades, a three-time mayor and seven-term councillor of Greater Dandenong and the former city of Springvale, told the Weekly this morning she felt too afraid to move from her seat as she felt a sharp pain through the front and back of her chest towards the end of the meeting.
‘‘I had trouble breathing. It felt like a brick on my chest.’’
About 8pm, concerned councillors consoled a disorientated Cr Blades during public question time. The meeting was brought to a quick conclusion and the public gallery was cleared as an ambulance was called.
About 8.15pm, she was guided from the council chambers into an ambulance by city planning director Jody Bosman to be given a cardiac scan by paramedics.
‘‘I was told that the Monash and Dandenong emergency departments were both on standby but they were keen for me to go to hospital.
‘‘I’ve spent enough time in the medical industry to know that if they’re on standby, I could be there till 4-5 am.
‘‘I knew I didn’t have a major heart attack but I had a fitful night last night with a cough and a tight chest.’’
Cr Blades said that during the ‘‘terrifying’’ experience, she felt unable to focus on what people were doing or saying.
She had been labouring with a cough in recent times, but there was no warning of the paralysing chest pains, she said.
‘‘I couldn’t actually move because I didn’t know what it would do. It was unexpected and I wasn’t really prepared.’’
Cr Blades, who has an ‘‘urgent’’ medical appointment today, said the scare may be related to an inflammation in her chest.
‘‘It gave [husband] Terry a fright. You feel like apologising for all the fuss.’’
