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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch # p" `/ J, C! ^" { ^
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST. \1 R' n0 Z, o V
CBC News
0 {1 {( T( v7 U- r: C0 y3 g4 Y, GThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year. G# r2 D+ V' O( {' y: o
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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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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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7 ~! K @* f' }/ x$ }. P% CEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.3 s; x1 N7 y8 [! d/ N
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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.- t2 d9 M+ I. i5 n" b
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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.
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) t" \! n3 l, F7 v8 z% bHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.. `2 r: g, o. ~2 H
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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