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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch + J- X# [2 {5 p, R t
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST; f3 k) P) S( N
CBC News
/ o( @, w" [, r/ V0 m1 }There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.: T, }' X. a4 t: |& ~2 i
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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.; _1 N m- E4 l. K. o/ x4 K
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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.
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& z+ `1 H5 }) f" F0 AEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.
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0 m: m) M$ }: j& S! v3 ]# z# p$ ~( FRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.& ]% |2 m* ^) D7 W# M! o
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"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says. 1 g3 s& C! ]3 h4 V
% ^) M4 z6 [2 V9 m( e9 QHe 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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