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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
' R# `# P$ _9 ?4 K# [Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
' v1 }% w1 F8 R2 _4 T3 {/ Y5 @( }CBC News
) @8 E6 Q$ Z7 m, ?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.* h/ } l! X: k0 o) A/ P! E! \6 m
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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." N& b; @% c/ q0 g
6 ^1 ^" z3 h7 g" d5 iEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.
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/ t Y6 n& ?# J! n, RRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
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1 r- {, [ t9 S2 G"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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2 f+ {3 f1 [: r ~9 ~7 ]- jHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.* l$ {6 K) E1 k4 t
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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