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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
6 _: }$ _/ p: e5 r; L+ wLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST- f1 k* x+ I6 c. s8 k' A7 A( s
CBC News # t0 a. G, I( H% B( R: z
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.# j d$ F& b! _' u$ L
& K; R, F# q4 G% r0 D; N" d"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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5 C" M7 V* D0 `% X' q3 KLast 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.
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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
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; ]$ E9 k5 u9 B) |" F, p"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says. $ @9 Y6 r' x8 O, i) i
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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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