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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
# Z7 Q& ~' |3 ~! n( g6 DLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST. ]/ Z6 p0 n: P2 d9 v' W
CBC News
/ `0 b5 z" e! y% @4 x; c/ cThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.& \( p$ ^: n5 A R: ]" @
, s! y# S6 D" V8 ~"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.% ]0 C2 v0 g9 u
. i: G0 i) }$ ~* ?0 Y9 DLast 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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+ x' g! v5 `" G& xEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.
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, i, b, V6 `; ~5 W' qRandy 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. - ?, f4 s$ E2 J+ l& ~- N5 t" y' T
! c& R$ F9 A0 j+ e; g8 HHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.+ F a% D( \/ W( s( G/ L7 S/ G
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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