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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch $ x6 P3 I$ S+ T# |' V
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST, G+ k3 a! J! q$ M* g; ~
CBC News
, d$ G3 ^. n& n& UThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.& ^7 F; ?' C7 V$ G
# f5 c+ z5 l6 [+ @' e"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.* ?8 U' `, J! Z! p5 U+ p3 y/ _ S
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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.1 @7 L" v2 t- K# p Y2 _
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EMS 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.' L; n2 g, l! I6 J( K: e
7 J" b0 |, B9 S% d/ V$ U2 s, w"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says.
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4 z* {+ {: I0 L- r& i7 ^He says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.8 u) c, ~3 R0 @6 v
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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