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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
, F" f2 B) A2 Q( M5 C0 hLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
, M/ W" q& I* I7 V2 lCBC News
7 g# m; f a- f7 B- mThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.7 t0 \! y& Y* B& H
: i" f' l3 P* m6 a D. v& I/ G"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.. \9 D; ~* ?% O! }( l5 k
: I/ u4 h3 M/ z2 |8 gLast 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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EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.0 y4 v# U3 X9 U: v R7 D/ f
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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. 3 B$ c/ _) R/ L, e% X h- l8 e
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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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