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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch 0 Q5 w3 \1 l" ^2 a5 V
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST% w6 P4 @/ l# g' D4 R0 W
CBC News $ g4 Z' _- f! d# a
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.* g1 ]$ q# {$ S0 B& d9 G
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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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- @/ b9 z2 y( ]+ rLast 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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) B+ i F, r! y V, _1 x6 y; DEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.
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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.& O" b% _2 ]9 Z% I3 j
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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. & k2 \; F3 V8 p0 g
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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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