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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch ( m( o, c6 H8 }" {9 |
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST- O; {# _4 \' G0 o+ x( h
CBC News - r/ b' |" K; G4 N5 R" W) L
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.9 L& J2 W/ E$ b2 B% C
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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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) u' P+ \: s/ Q! v) I, [ o# KLast 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.! k6 |1 O L9 p( d. F
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EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.1 F( u. r8 w7 C v
8 D' s; i! |: K0 L P( j5 ]Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.' e8 Z8 ?. ?! ?! X8 W
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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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He says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.+ k7 W% T9 e+ B+ s$ W$ M
' m7 N$ H4 @+ M% L! K! QCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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