Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch

晓晓晓晓

Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch  
9 ?/ _4 [. P) [0 f! `Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
CBC News
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
! s8 Z% p- j! Z* j5 Z9 p# ^: ~+ K4 h
" T7 X) G* _/ M# g. w"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.
, Y: c6 X  [+ ^6 b( s
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.
! N1 a0 Y8 i" Y
EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.

. W: Z- Z% l6 ^8 T, C% Z9 s2 mRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
6 H" I/ g! m. L. u2 Z
) R# r/ i5 ~$ g" _- o"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says.
" s5 l5 F, `8 n: k5 ?8 M% W
% u* j; Q6 E1 KHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.

) f" F( t/ Z) O, vCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system.

晓晓晓晓

"Red alert"是EMS( Emergency Medical Services )的术语,指当整个城市一辆救护车都不可用的状况.上周,由于一次"Red alert"使得Capital Health 不得不承认医院已经跟不上了--救护车必须在紧急情况的时候等待医院是否有能力接受病人.EMS说去年有36次"Red alert",目前为止今年就有九次--有两次是周一下午.医院职员的代表人说事态已经变的更差,他说尽管每个人都在努力,但是整个系统已经支离破碎,无法工作.他认为爱城医院的病床和病房的数目必须增加.Capital Health 则说部分系统将会改变.

晓晓晓晓

PS:我和LI2换了.