Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch

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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch  
$ u( s3 V8 @8 Z1 e4 H/ KLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
CBC News
, B: G. ~2 l2 Y# [/ N/ j. mThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.

5 b! }4 I. |6 h( v9 R"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.

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.

) ^, w& U4 q5 [EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.

- j* E0 y% e+ H+ ~% `Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.

- n1 E+ V( i$ l$ L& }"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says.

  z1 _% v$ A* p' y* ~5 P" wHe 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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( H( ~: g: v4 VCapital 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.