MEDICAL professionals working near one of Victoria's worst train disasters were upset they weren't called to help, an inquest heard.

Dr Michael Moynihan, president of the Rural Doctor's Association, has told an inquest into the crash in which 11 died at Kerang in 2007, that highly experienced and equipped GPs were available within minutes but weren't called.

Dr Moynihan says some medical personnel were so upset they weren't involved in the rescue effort that they needed counselling.

He says many had relatives involved the incident.

Yesterday, senior paramedic Neil Harrop told an inquest that ambulance crews had "copped a lot of flak" in the aftermath of the accident about their response on the day.

Mr Harrop, a paramedic for 31 years, said there were many stories that had circulated which were not true.

The reason several ambulance vehicles did not go directly to the scene was because it was too wet and a police car had already been bogged, he said.

"There were lots of stories made up," Mr Harrop said. "There was not a patient compromised at all on the day."

Mr Harrop said if the incident were to play out again, patients would receive exactly the same care.

"We were certainly helping and doing the best for our patients," he said.

Witnesses have told the inquest that medical staff were turned away from the scene and questioned why local doctors and nurses were not called to assist.

But Mr Harrop said doctors would have provided no better care than what patients received that day.

"Considering what we were confronted with, I thought everybody did a really good job," he said.

After arriving, Mr Harrop said he sent a less experienced ambulance officer to check out the train carriages because he was assessing the truck driver whose vehicle had collided with the train.

He defended his decision not to enter the carriages, saying at that early stage they his team had no idea about the casualties inside.

Mr Harrop also described as "a bit unfair" comments by communications staff that he had "latched" on to one patient and wouldn't let go to find out other information.

"I was tied up," he said, adding he had not been given further directions or updates from communications to attend elsewhere.

Paramedic Geoffrey Astall, the Swan Hill station supervisor, said if local doctors and nurses had attended the scene, it may have created a shortfall at the Kerang hospital where medical staff were needed to treat casualties.

Mr Astall told coroner Jane Hendtlass that emergency crews did a great job, considering the location was so far from a major centre.

"For the magnitude of the event, there was a lot of calm there - it was a tremendous effort," he said.

The inquest continues.