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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch " D9 E9 a* h" @+ D# E2 x J; S
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
5 u: ~5 V) C: `CBC News
% ^/ r; @- s' P5 h( C1 D9 CThere'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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- b- {6 {$ T4 Q7 Q* t2 ULast 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) N2 q! z G$ F; n4 J
; |5 C) P) U# M3 r1 bEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.
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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. # i; U ~$ |( ]& {3 F, y
$ T6 a/ n* V, |( }* u9 y; [" }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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; W7 O% D4 r. E+ k- @8 CCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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