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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch : P: u1 I3 b( S
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST1 ^ W" W: f, R+ y8 Q/ A6 t# d; g
CBC News 9 U6 k5 q7 _1 i/ h6 l* a! w( S
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.4 \3 y" _& [* Y" p+ o3 Y
0 e! o" U. N1 ^# Z. J4 `$ o' \" c/ x"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.) x9 J9 Z2 M$ [+ h
3 P8 R+ g& }4 W' i9 A$ K1 E. X0 V% HLast 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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' R* T' \8 c5 Z6 l+ N. r) rEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.4 i3 W$ O* r3 [( v( {$ J$ s
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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
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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. 5 V+ V; n* S, s* c ? G% m% ]
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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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j0 {* H9 _+ MCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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