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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch ; g! m- t+ s: q$ J8 J" h: b: T6 `
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST8 j& d9 J' J! ?8 q
CBC News ; T7 h1 M$ h6 V n' {
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
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' f3 D7 k8 D1 A# N b& F- L"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.) i. {9 ~+ e' E6 s- c
" E; Y2 }% C) g+ t5 n- C; a+ mLast 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.0 l* g X' K3 |& e7 Q- U
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EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.9 w3 r$ T" J! s5 _/ h0 N
$ b; ^) ?3 G+ n/ G, \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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& a8 W4 S% \$ j0 Z, R! wHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.8 G7 v" `) E) K/ o) \& I
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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