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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch * i0 ]" p1 c5 |, n C& M. ~: r
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST- s: i9 e* H0 S3 n
CBC News ! I8 E; e0 B( U) S6 u
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
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% i/ {2 @$ O# D. D) E"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.0 Y# u5 g; x& A) z
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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.& K" Y" S/ z6 A; c: F$ X$ |
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EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.4 l/ I& j+ x; e5 y0 s' h N5 G8 p- ~9 _
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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.9 s |: H7 W! D! f; j( |
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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. $ \) e, P, ? s( k3 p6 y" y/ {
1 m0 H5 k2 `+ Z# k& C# G4 ]' iHe 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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2 J2 Q9 B6 R. P5 eCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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