The Bendigo region’s crippling paramedic shortage has cost lives and the morale of ambulance workers is at an all-time low, according to a paramedic.

The paramedic, who asked not to be identified, told media more paramedics on the road would save more lives.

"An old ambo said to me you can only do one job at a time. You can’t blame yourself for the ones you didn’t get to," he said.

Ambulance Employees Australia Victoria general secretary Steve McGhie said he was not surprised at the claims as Bendigo was well under-resourced, with the region urgently requiring an extra 15 to 20 paramedics.

"Bendigo is bigger in population and has a higher case load than in Ballarat but with their night shift they have less ambulances available. Ballarat has four and Bendigo has three.

"And Bendigo transports a lot of their patients to Melbourne so they are not in their township as a result for quite a few hours."

Mr McGhie said Bendigo ambulance response times were around the 24-minute mark for a code one emergency, well outside the State Government’s 15-minute benchmark.

"Their profession is to save lives and they want to get there as quickly as they can to give the patient the best opportunity," he said.

"Unfortunately there are circumstances where some patients just don’t survive. This is distressing for the paramedics.

"Clearly there is a level of frustration in the Bendigo area that they don’t have enough resources."

The ambulance union met with Health Minister David Davis in January and has requested another urgent meeting with the minister.