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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
8 q) R3 e8 _: @7 b2 n' RLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
- j+ v' i3 j! G' p! Q# eCBC News
+ |1 ~" x) u- ]6 W: V7 j; vThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year. J; y- x D. ]# h+ B1 P
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"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.( Z* R- D6 q- m- u
( ^. c p( M& D# V' p3 \Last week, a red alert led Capital Health to admit that hospitals can't keep up, meaning ambulances have to wait at emergency until the hospital can take the patient.' {) M. v( w* q. v* a Q) L
. h& u5 v9 k! Z2 m* u% LEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.! g1 {# B) O t( H( u/ f
# H4 p* ]3 [2 y& V$ D; ~Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.9 ~9 m: z' T+ J7 i" f! a8 u9 `
+ {" y* B. ~; t2 p4 d* M"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says.
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He says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.
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4 _$ Y7 K9 r: v4 ~- SCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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