Last Saturday the Otago Daily Times reported Wanaka's two full-time St John staff paramedics would share on-call duties on nights when volunteers were not available.
This was in addition to their 12-hour day-shifts, and St John's Wanaka operation team manager Don McMillan described it as a "short-term fix" that he feared might go on for a year.
Dr Meyer, who founded the Aspiring Medical Centre seven years ago, said what was required was a "long-term sustainable solution".
"These quick solutions that are being generated are patchwork kind of Band-Aids to a system that's got a lot of holes in it."
Dr Meyer said she raised the same issue, of emergency services to rural communities, at a conference for rural GPs almost two years ago.
But despite generating considerable media attention at the time, nothing had changed.
She considered it remained a national issue.
Asked if the Taieri-based Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter service reduced the need for Wanaka to have a 24-hour ambulance service locally, Dr Meyer said those dealing with emergencies found "many times we don't have the helicopter option. I think that's a myth that people have."
Dr Meyer said such things as high winds and snowstorms limited the availability of the rescue helicopter, and it could easily take an hour and a-half for the helicopter to arrive. On one occasion she had waited three hours.
Although she described the helicopter service as fantastic: "We love it when the helicopter arrives", she did not think relying on the helicopter was a "good plan B" for Wanaka.
And Dr Meyer said she was mindful of not being seen as critical of the volunteers who operate after-hours ambulance services.
"We just think they are wonderful.
"By complaining and raising the issue we don't want to somehow undermine the fact that they are amazing people who do a great job."
• In clarification of the report in Wednesday's ODT, Wanaka has a shortage of volunteers available for night work at times, rather than an overall shortage of volunteers.
