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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch * `$ G7 ?1 E. P" r& x1 \
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST5 I" k) W5 C6 R9 [$ }) O$ q% U) a7 V
CBC News 7 S1 O+ f z8 s+ N6 n4 O# s/ f
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
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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.
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! Y) V: x `! [! d7 P8 P2 J7 z1 ]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., ]' Z. D; G6 d$ X' P* ?
# J$ X$ m: q% o2 EEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.9 {( m# v% A' s( q& e6 v
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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.0 y z& K! `( T/ X1 x) W
8 w; r: q e# j: C"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says. % I. L" z/ r5 o
7 B+ {$ R0 p( h: [& ? V0 [He says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.2 O6 ]; o. n* q1 u9 l& p3 g7 n
$ D; c8 D O3 K; F# Q8 uCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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