鲜花( 0) 鸡蛋( 0)
|
Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch {8 ~: L3 s+ c3 c1 ]
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
( ]* W6 n* C( w, o' _1 Q) d9 PCBC News * T" q' H D$ T. u, Y# Z" y
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
* p1 A9 o6 U+ b4 Y2 b& C5 v$ J2 y# }6 X$ |2 h, @
"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.
2 d9 U5 u0 s, l0 b
) P. R4 p3 d. A) F6 w8 ?4 Y: tLast 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.
( `: J2 \) \5 S. ~; ]7 l
/ l0 e4 T& _, t# w4 N& A; UEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.5 O, d: R# L) I: i/ D1 ]
; n2 H2 B8 o& m0 i: F; R; `7 h fRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
; U6 n1 h8 j1 k Y' x- y3 w
: d. {* W# m* R8 C* E( y/ H& r"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says. - P! q* F& Q% M( ^& d
& G* K5 c: K7 M. @: W6 z% T, D4 wHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals., b3 Z7 n `2 j( x; X
0 S+ U! h% ]4 _ R0 F( j! H+ _
Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
|