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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch * G& s; v2 n1 _* W% Z6 H5 Q1 Z
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
& T& c7 c0 r; W( q' e2 dCBC News / }( D# u+ N1 S" K
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
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/ @6 g% ^& n2 T/ L"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city., l( q! k m w5 a: F8 y; L; b
8 X+ F8 E8 u' C/ b2 zLast 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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EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon., K1 G5 X+ A2 _7 P3 _- _; R n; {
; {% o. U( N" z9 t( IRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.% x2 i: z5 s/ x
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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. $ W* c, z7 p3 E% t
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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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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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