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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch # ~1 }; Y# c9 m6 o
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST1 {4 m) P% T& @% \1 B
CBC News
2 o" k7 q! H0 i, r. ]4 yThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
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3 F& W$ |) ?: V. S, K"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.9 Q# a0 E) V4 @5 M7 Q' D
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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.
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5 E$ Z8 |; Y0 B2 rEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.
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+ s! y" v6 `0 N3 kRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.% f/ e4 ^9 ?4 `& @# A3 n
+ i1 q) _( r! t& ^8 o, _) {. H"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says. ( f& H. D9 _7 s) ^! V2 J
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He 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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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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