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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
; G* q B" w8 K3 {/ YLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST' H K; `) f3 [) a& h
CBC News 9 L% @) {4 G2 K s' k( I2 T
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
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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.1 b, Y* F4 A1 t; X
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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.5 f1 X" s7 }; b( z' t2 P
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EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.$ M" w4 t6 f# q: Y+ G, h' U9 K, L
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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.! {! ?7 y4 v6 Q: @
& \, v6 h3 j/ d' X; f( o"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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' u& d5 U5 F8 h7 ]: K9 YHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.5 _+ b- s* x, W$ F* z# z8 t. c# W; r
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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