Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch

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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch  
/ e# o8 P3 H2 \, X- D5 S2 c) x6 P0 O# DLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
CBC News
7 {, ^( P4 a, Q2 |( `# TThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.

& ]4 k0 X' S. w1 K"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.

& m; L; e; A2 s: E1 DLast 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.
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( f/ T, d! A( A( H/ ^, @# x0 ]EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.

Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.

"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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7 D" n" u5 u- o5 mHe 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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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system.

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"Red alert"是EMS( Emergency Medical Services )的术语,指当整个城市一辆救护车都不可用的状况.上周,由于一次"Red alert"使得Capital Health 不得不承认医院已经跟不上了--救护车必须在紧急情况的时候等待医院是否有能力接受病人.EMS说去年有36次"Red alert",目前为止今年就有九次--有两次是周一下午.医院职员的代表人说事态已经变的更差,他说尽管每个人都在努力,但是整个系统已经支离破碎,无法工作.他认为爱城医院的病床和病房的数目必须增加.Capital Health 则说部分系统将会改变.

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PS:我和LI2换了.