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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch 2 f1 r# [! ?. y+ N* o' n
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST2 u8 F5 o" W9 q+ L
CBC News
, F, [/ L/ N" x$ ~, n0 O' ^6 ZThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
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- i/ {7 d* j" A"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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( \" a5 l$ O: W# }5 i2 \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.9 |- y9 l% m/ [; N, O. C
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EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.+ a8 N8 d& C/ V T Y. X
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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.& N& b# p% V4 f* {: B; o3 _
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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. 2 m4 `5 @6 p; a1 ?
4 M2 s' z- a' R- G3 RHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.$ Y9 f; g* m9 g& ]* o$ o. N7 r
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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