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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch # T: j) [ d1 o
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST/ C/ K! T& b- U7 Y8 w
CBC News
, \8 n' v2 |. MThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
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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.( e# }- O j7 \" v1 I: u
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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.$ j- j( V, |1 x8 @
6 P( W3 U* M A# {- UEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.
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2 t$ T) K* n9 lRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.4 S9 `- `3 z5 [) U/ w+ S
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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. ; q7 m$ I- c0 P: C8 q3 u5 b
5 W; o9 c2 l. D. |( t; }# aHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.7 d" Y: ~% n* k8 z, Y- m7 }' M
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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