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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
/ h7 L" g u) P3 ?: `Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST. I3 E0 x3 o) f8 }& Z5 l
CBC News . B* e# p4 S; I
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.& p+ B$ w$ w3 s$ Q
1 t; `& u* E" K( U"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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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.
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3 |" T4 H X& h. T1 M9 @EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.6 D2 U J. K- B$ u6 S, i$ ~1 S
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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse./ U; a: N3 Y3 k5 G! [
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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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3 e8 `* C; q. X( m$ WHe 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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+ v3 I- U% C- K! g) FCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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