THE inquest into the tragic death of Cobram mother Veronica Campbell has served at least one inestimably valuable public good.

In the early hours of December 31, Mrs Campbell died from complications following a ruptured ectopic pregnancy (when the fertilised egg attaches outside the uterus).

The inquest took place in Shepparton last week.

For Mrs Campbell's family and those involved in her care, it offered insight into exactly what happened, a process that it's hoped will help in their grieving.

The public good I speak of is the scrutiny that was applied at the inquest into the workings of and communications between rural hospitals and ambulance services in rural areas in the event of a medical emergency.

It will be up to Coroner Stella Stuthridge to make her findings which could be months away yet.

But what is without doubt is that a woman who walked into Cobram hospital at 10.05pm complaining of pain died in the early hours next morning of complications resulting from ectopic pregnancy, a condition that the inquest heard had not caused any other deaths in Victoria in the past five years.

All that time, she was in the hands of our state's health and ambulance systems.

She was, in effect, in a system any rural resident in similar circumstances might expect could save her.

Statements tendered to the inquest suggested that an ambulance was called at 10.30pm but did not arrive until at least one-and-three-quarter hours later.

The inquiry was told the first ambulance crew chose not to transfer Mrs Campbell because she was too sick, but instead waited for a higher qualified MICA crew.

The inquest heard that as Mrs Campbell's deteriorating condition was recognised, an air ambulance was called. She eventually arrived by air at Goulburn Valley Base Hospital at Shepparton where she went into cardiac arrest and later died.

Again, the Coroner will make findings on the times, but statements tendered showed it had taken at least four hours to get her to the operating theatre.

Cobram is 50 minutes by road from Shepparton. The inquiry heard there was an on-call ambulance crew in Cobram that night that was not called in.

On the surface, it's easy to be horrified by the times, which are still subject to confirmation.

Limited space prevents me from explaining the details revealed at the inquest here.

But the inquest heard that the ambulance took longer than expected and that ambulance dispatchers had worked long hours, were tired and were juggling limited resources that night.

There is much for rural people to learn from the inquest.

For example, it was alleged Ambulance Victoria dispatchers did not comprehend the word "urgent" by the caller in the first phone call to mean a time-critical emergency.

It was also revealed that rural hospitals often don't hold blood supplies, neither does the air ambulance. The skill levels of ambulance officers also vary quite markedly.

How many of us who live in rural areas know of such things and shouldn't we know them so that when we make a decision about which hospital to go to, we understand the limits of the services available?

Would Mrs Campbell have lived if she had bypassed her small rural hospital and instead travelled 50 minutes more to the larger regional hospital at Shepparton? Did she die because she lived rurally?

Ambulance Victoria instigated many changes after Mrs Campbell's death and said they regretted the delay which occurred during her transfer.

The Coroner is expected to make her findings later this year.