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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch % O9 [; p0 {# U
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST; h8 h# U6 g- S
CBC News
9 `0 I* P# @' G( q0 LThere'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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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.+ [- q& R9 N6 k8 j$ H
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EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon., D# S9 Q7 w6 w/ @: t/ [6 e
6 I" |1 \% z3 RRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.3 x# D L, T5 W! \ D0 M" ?; g! O( y
9 Q' x1 a9 h5 N0 h: g6 Z* H"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says. . R" ^6 J8 |. r2 S- ]
! V! Z$ c# U/ H3 [He says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.8 A2 q1 y, E+ y; D7 n
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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