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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
' Y/ {4 X4 h9 ^+ t# l( X3 yLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST3 E. G9 {% F- |) H: A" o
CBC News U7 C) X( Z3 L1 Y, r
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year./ L; q h7 a/ E- n
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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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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.( M) _6 s) Q/ }
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EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon./ c! z# M$ t2 n+ V$ l4 y5 K0 ~
% c6 q+ m) K- D. R. _3 v' \Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
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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.
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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